Being Sick Is Uncool
by doommuffin
Summary: ~COMPLETE~ Wee! The end has come! What will happen? Will Zim finally be free? Will Dib succeed? Do you even care? You should! *head explodes*
1. Default Chapter

Okay…I wrote this when I couldn't think straight, so BEWARE! Um, if anybody reviews, I'll update, but if nobody shows me what they think, then…well anyway, ENJOY!  
  
Oh yeah, I drew a stupid picture to go with this too. If you wanna look at it(?) then go to  
  
http://www.geocities.com/dardarhead/Sick.gif.gif  
  
And no it isn't a typo.  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing…cause I'm living in a van by the river!  
  
The Sickness Begins  
  
Zim woke up like any normal day. Once again he had fallen asleep on one of his computers. He stretched and let out a yawn as his spine cracked. He had slept in a bad position. He'd have to deal with the kink in his back all day.  
  
Zim looked around the computers, trying to remember what he'd been doing the night before. 'Aww, yes. I was working with biological weapons…' he thought, grinning. He'd been developing a powerful disease that would practically cripple any life form, animal or human. He was just adding the finishing touches for the past couple days.  
  
After shutting down the computers, Zim went up to the house to get ready for skool. As usual, Gir was watching the Scary Monkey Show and eating corn on the cob for breakfast.  
  
"Morning Gir," Zim said, showing the android that he acknowledged his presence. Gir looked over at his master, smiling stupidly. The smile soon ended however, and changed into a worried frown. "What?!" asked Zim demandingly. He never did like it when people gave him strange looks.  
  
"Master, are you okay?" Gir said, still frowning.  
  
Zim looked at the robot, confused. Gir knew that his master was always a little sluggish in the mornings and didn't always look his best, so why ask such a dumb question?  
  
"Of course, Gir. Why do you ask?" Zim replied.  
  
"You look really…sickly."  
  
Zim blinked, then rushed to the nearest mirror. He was taken aback by what he saw. He was nearly completely white, save for a dark green spot where his nose would be if he were human. His eyes were a dull pink and he had heavy bags under them. "I didn't stay up that late, did I?" Zim asked himself. He tried to recall the time he fell asleep, but it was impossible. "Surely it was a decent time. Even if I was working on my mission…"  
  
Suddenly it came clear to him. Zim rushed down to the labs where he had worked the night before. He checked his experimental disease. The case that contained the virus was there, but it was open.  
  
"This isn't good." Zim said nervously. There was a decent chance that he had been infected by his own weapon, and if he had…  
  
Zim forced himself to not think about it. He checked a clock. It was nearly 8. He had to get to skool. He quickly put on his wig and contacts and proceeded to leave.  
  
  
  
When Zim got to skool, he was very out of breath for he had to run the entire way. He didn't dare be late – Ms. Bitters would tear him apart. Zim entered the class and took a seat. He glanced around, noticing Dib looking at him strangely. Zim ignored him and waited for Ms. Bitters to start the lesson.  
  
"Okay, children. Today we are going to learn about an important man in our history. His name is Martin Luther King Jr. He said he had a dream. Soon his dreaming head was blown to pieces. The lesson here is to never, EVER dream unless you want a case of head explodey." Ms. Bitters hissed and continued on with her lesson.  
  
Zim rolled his eyes in disgust. He hated having to listen to Earth's stupid history. He hadn't cared for history on Irk, so why should he care about some lesser planet's? Zim sat his head on his desk with a clunk. He was unbearably bored. He started thinking about things that might help him with is mission.  
  
'Oh, that's genius…perfect……wonderful……doom…' he thought, grinning from time to time. He started to become very hot and started sweating horribly. 'All these wonderfully brilliant ideas are too much for my system. I mustn't overwhelm myself with my genius.' He took off his gloves and rolled up his sleeves.  
  
The day continued on, and Zim got hotter and sweatier. His eyes were glazed over and his wig kept falling into his face. He pulled at the collar of his shirt. 'Why is this room so hot?' Zim thought, panting.  
  
"ZIM?!" Ms. Bitters screeched. Zim jumped. He hadn't been paying attention and had no clue what was going on. "Thank you for joining us again, Zim. Do you mind showing a little respect for my miserable attempts to teach you about how pointless your lives are?"  
  
"Sorry Ms. Bitters," Zim said flatly. He struggled just to get the sentence out. His throat kept closing on him.  
  
"Zim, are you feeling all right today?" Ms. Bitters asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Zim ground his teeth. "WHY DOES EVERYBODY KEEP ASKING ME THAT?! I'M PERFECTLY FINE AND DANDY! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT, YOU OLD BAG?! OR ARE YOU BLINDED BY CATARACTS?!" he yelled, shaking and clenching his fists.  
  
Ms. Bitters shoved a thermometer in his mouth. After a couple of seconds, it beeped and she checked it. "Hmm…not good…" she mumbled. "Zim, go to the nurse, NOW," she hissed to him. "Somebody go with him to make sure he doesn't pass out," she said to the rest of the class.  
  
Nobody raised their hand. That is, except for Dib. Zim started to protest, but lost interest and decided to save his energy.  
  
"Fine, Dib. You go with him, and make sure he goes straight to the nurse this time," Ms. Bitters said, gritting her teeth while she said the last part. Dib grinned and he followed Zim out the door.  
  
  
  
What do ya think? It isn't that bad, is it? Please review, I'd really appreciate it!  
  
-Crystal 


	2. To The Nurse

Yay! Next chapter. Things get more interesting here. Please review, it helps me see if my work is even noticed. Thanks!  
  
To The Nurse  
  
"I know you're just faking, Zim," said Dib, pointing a finger at Zim accusingly. "You just wanted out of class so you could come up with another plan."  
  
Zim ignored him and marched miserably on. He didn't know what would happen when he reached the nurse's office, but he didn't really care either. He was too hot and sweaty. His bones ached all through his body, and each swallow of saliva was agony.  
  
"Faker, faker, faker." Dib continued his taunting. Zim let out a long sigh and surpressed his anger. Dib smirked, satisfied that he was getting on Zim's last nerve. He poked Zim in between the eyes. "FAKER."  
  
"THAT'S IT DIB! You just crossed the final line!" Zim yelled hoarsely, smacking Dib's hand away. "I come to this filthy place and have to deal with your nonsense! You think that one day, just ONE day, you'd give me a break, but NOOOO." Zim crossed his arms and sneered. "Alien! Alien! Everybody look at the menacing alien!" he said in a mocking voice.  
  
Dib just chuckled and walked passed Zim. Zim's little outburst was a victory for him. Zim just stood there, clenching his fists and hissing in anger. He could hardly stand it any more. He would show Dib. He'd show him who the TRUE victor was. He'd show him...  
  
Zim suddenly became very tired. He blinked through his hot tears of anger. He couldn't see straight. Everything was smeared together. He rubbed his eyes. Still just blotches of color. He took a step, bewildered and confused, and tripped. He tried to pull himself up, but couldn't manage. He closed his eyes and the blackness went over him...  
  
In the nurse's office, the secretary had received a message from Ms. Bitters to call Zim's house and let his parents know that they should pick him up. She picked up the phone, dialed the number, and waited.  
  
At the house, Gir was baking a carrot cake and had accidently blown up the oven. He scratched his head, confused, then giggled insanely when he saw a butterfly through the window. He was about to go chase it when he heard the phone ringing.  
  
"Howdy!" Gir chimed into the phone.  
  
"Yes, hello. I'm a secretary from the Skool and..."  
  
"I'M THE FAMOUS RODEO CLOWN!"  
  
"May I ask who I'm speaking to?"  
  
"Why, I'm the ghost of St. Patrick's Day Past!"  
  
"I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number. Do you live with a young boy named Zim?"  
  
"Yessiree bob!"  
  
"Oh...well, Zim is very ill and needs to be picked up A.S.A.P."  
  
"Asap? Is that I brand of cereal?"  
  
"Just come in whenever you can."  
  
"MUFFINS!" Gir slammed down the phone and went dancing after the butterfly.  
  
The nurse hung up the phone, slowly. She blinked, confused. She shook her head and sighed.  
  
"No wonder these kids have no future."  
  
  
  
Yeeee! Zim fainted in the hall! Again, please review, for I will explode if you don't!  
  
-Crystal 


	3. Toturetopsy

Hurray! Here's the third chapter! Oh yeah, for those of you who were wondering, this is gonna be a pretty long fic, and I promise to finish it and update fairly often. Another thing, am I supposed to put disclaimers on every chapter? If you don't like knives and blood, you might not wanna read this chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: Weee! Me dun own Zim!  
  
Torture-topsy  
  
Zim woke up slowly and with much pain. Every breath was like knives going down through his throat. He was so hot that his blood felt like it was boiling. Every bone in his body ached with pain, and he could feel his pulse going through him. He wished he hadn't woken up.  
  
Zim opened his eyes a little and strained to see his surroundings. He saw that he was in an almost completely empty white room with a bright light hanging above him. Beside him was an iron table with a sink and a box of disposable rubber gloves. There was also a little rolling chair.  
  
'Is this the hospital?' he pondered, confused. He shut his eyes and wiggled his antennae while he thought. Wiggling his antennae always helped him concentrate more. 'Wait a minute...' How could he be wiggling his antennae while he had his wig on?  
  
Zim lifted his hand to feel if the wig had fallen off. But before he could even get his hand off the table he was lying on, it was stopped by a locked chain. He tried lifting his head to see how he was caught, but something was holding his head in place. Suddenly realizing his situation, Zim kicked and struggled to get loose, but every limb was tied down.  
  
"Well, good morning, sunshine," came a voice from behind. Zim's eyes narrowed as he recognized the sound of his enemy's voice. "Glad to see that you're awake." Dib walked out from the shadows and looked down at the Irken's face.  
  
Dib had a cocky smirk on his face and an evil glint to his eyes. It wasn't the determined glare that Zim had been accustomed to, and he was surprised by it. Dib calmly brought out a tray filled with nasty looking instruments on it. He sat it down on the iron table next to Zim and sat down on the rolling chair.  
  
"Well, Zim, the day we both knew would come is finally here. No more procrastinating. It's the beginning of your end," Dib said smugly. Zim glared up at him, hateful and terrified at the same time. Dib chuckled at this and shook his head. "Nothing can help you now. You're completely helpless." Dib's glasses gleamed in the light as he grinned.  
  
"Welcome to my dad's lab, Zim. You see, I was just going to take you down to the Swollen Eyeball Society, but then I thought, what's the fun in that? You see, Zim, I want to enjoy your suffering, and how can I do that if we just get rid of you quickly? That's why I brought you here - for my own personal enjoyment."  
  
Zim glared up at Dib, wishing he could melt him with his eyes. He pictured himself choking Dib, suffocating him to death. Then he'd burn his remains and stomp on the ashes. Filthy human...  
  
Dib ended Zim's thoughts of revenge by taking off one of the Irken's boots. He slowly picked up the knife and hovered it around the arch of Zim's foot.  
  
"Hope you aren't ticklish, Zim," Dib said, grinning evilly. Zim's eyes widened as Dib drew the knife closer and closer to his flesh. He tried to pull away, but it was impossible while being chained.  
  
Dib slowly dug the knife into Zim's foot, savoring every moment, every jerk of pain. Zim bit his lower lip, trying not to show weakness. Suddenly, Dib jerked the knife deep into the middle of his foot. Zim cried out in shock and pain, and Dib laughed in victory.  
  
Zim shut his watering eyes tightly and looked away. He couldn't believe that he'd let his enemy win. He had dishonored everything that was Irken. He couldn't bare to think of what the Tallest would say when they found out about his death.  
  
Suddenly, the door was thrown open. Somebody stomped in, apparently furious. It was Gaz.  
  
"Dib, you spilled soda on my new video game cartridge, and now it's ruined! You're going to buy a new one for me with your own money. Right now."  
  
Dib groaned. "Gaz, can't you see I'm busy?"  
  
Gaz grabbed Dib's shirt collar. "NOW." Dib sighed and laid down the knife. He knew better than to toy with Gaz. He glared down at Zim. "Don't you move now," he said as he walked out the door.  
  
Zim moaned in agony after Dib left. The pain from his bleeding foot and his sickness was crippling. However, urgency pumped through Zim's entire body, telling him that he needed to get out.  
  
"My backpod!" Zim cried out, suddenly remembering. Almost certain of escape and already planning revenge, he soon discovered that his backpod had been ripped off. "NO!" Zim yelled in rage, tears of frustration running down his face. Now there was no way out. His fate was sealed.  
  
Zim sadly laid his head down, defeated and hopeless. He closed his eyes and hoped that maybe he could beg Dib to finish him off quickly, although he knew Dib would just laugh.  
  
He opened his eyes slowly, testing to see if they hurt worse closed or open. While he was doing this, he noticed that the chains that he was tied down by were locked with a key, and could easily be picked. Zim sighed, knowing that this information wouldn't help him at all, and lowered his antennae in depression.  
  
"Antennae..." Suddenly it came to him. Zim could pick the locks with his antennae. Zim smiled and nearly laughed as the simple answer came clear to him. He first unlocked his head, followed by his arms and legs. He put his boot on his foot and winced as he planted it on the floor.  
  
Chuckling weakly, Zim limped over to the door and opened it slowly. He walked out and soon discovered that the Prof.'s lab was huge and that he was completely lost. Zim sighed and trudged over to a nearby vent. He tore the cover off and clambered in. After checking to see if he had left a path of blood to his destination and making sure that the vent cover was sealed up tightly, Zim laid down and fell asleep.  
  
  
  
Poor Zimmy! Dib's such a meany! Anway, please review or I shall suffocate! I am greedy for reviews! More, more, I demand more! Yee..thanx!  
  
-Crystal 


	4. The Sneeze of Doom

Yee...sorry for the delay people, I've been busy. First I had piano, then after school rehearsal for band twice, then a wedding, and my birthday is coming up so I had to help plan that. Oh yeah, my birthday is Saturday, May 4, so if for any reason you wanna e-mail me something(why?) it would make my day. Anyway, please review, and enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: How can Ace be 1 and 11? What kind of God would allow that?  
  
The Sneeze of Doom  
  
Dib and Gaz walked together through the mall, looking into various stores but never going in. At last they reached the Video Pit. Gaz grabbed her game and brought it up to Dib, who went to the register and paid for it. Gaz seemed content and the two walked out.  
  
Dib's feet moved automatically, for he was busy in his mind. He was thinking of Zim, and how to dissect him while causing the most pain. Dib grinned evilly as he thought of Zim's screaming face as he cut open his soft stomach area. He couldn't wait.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Gir was sitting on the couch, placidly, staring at the TV. It was almost 6 pm and his master wasn't back yet. This worried Gir, but he kept reminding himself that his master could take care of himself and that there was probably a good explanation to his absence. Suddenly, Gir received a signal from his master's backpod. It had deactivated.  
  
Gir's eyes glowed brightly and his mouth fell open. He shook his head slowly in disbelief. His master would never deactivate his backpod. It would make him too vulnerable. This could mean only two things - either his master had taken off his backpod for some reason, perhaps an emergency, and left it off for a long while, or his master was dead.  
  
Gir wouldn't believe it. He closed his eyes and tried to think clearly - something he hardly ever did. Surely his master was alive. But why would he remove his backpod? Gir gasped as he remembered how his master had looked this morning, so sickly and pale.  
  
"No...oh, master, no!"  
  
Gir fell off the couch and wept in the light of the TV.  
  
Gaz and Dib walked down the lane, soon nearing their house. Gaz grinned, seeing how Dib wanted to be home, and walked as slow as she could. Dib went ahead of her, but slowed down after she gave him a deadly glare.  
  
"What's the hurry anyway?" Gaz asked. Dib grinned and snickered and opened his mouth to speak. Gaz shoved her hand into his mouth. "It's about Zim, isn't it?" Dib nodded. "Then I don't want to know."  
  
When they finally did reach their house, Dib rushed down to his dad's lab immediately. He ran down the many halls until he reached the little white room - the autopsy room. Dib grinned and slowly turned the knob and opened the door. He walked in, eyes closed and smirking, only to find an empty room.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
Dib shuffled around the room, searching for any clues that might lead to Zim's escape. Dib had paid careful attention to how he had flawlessly shackled Zim down, and couldn't imagine where he had made a mistake. Dib rushed out of the room and slammed the door behind him.  
  
Zim woke up suddenly, hearing Dib slamming the door. He was very confused and had no idea where he was. He frowned as reality came back to him. His sliced foot pained him more than ever, and the pain seemed to spread through his entire leg.  
  
What was worse was his horrible thirst. He was very dehydrated from the fever and his tongue felt sand in his mouth. Zim sat up and let out a little grunt as he moved his injured leg. He thought of Gir and wondered how he was and if he even knew what a bad situation he was in. He sighed and was about to start unscrewing the cover of the vent when he heard Dib coming down the hall.  
  
Dib stomped angrily as he went down the hall, muttering to himself. He went into the autopsy room and looked it over again. Zim sat in the vent, holding his breath and not making a sound. Dib came out of the room and stood at the doorway, his chin in his hand. He had the most distressed expression on his face, and it took all of Zim's strength to keep himself from laughing at it.  
  
Dib sighed and walked slowly away. Zim sighed in sheer relief. Perhaps his escape would be easier than he thought. He smiled faintly, imagining Gir's reaction when he came home so late. He also imagined how Dib would act at skool, trying to explain to Ms. Bitters why they had both disappeared.  
  
Zim looked out the vent and saw Dib still trudging down the hall slowly, sometimes stopping and looking around. Zim set to work on the screws, being as quiet as he could even though he was sure Dib wouldn't hear him anyway. Zim's grin grew with each screw, and he grinned as he undid the last one, seeing Dib almost all the way down the hall. He could already picture his triumphant return home. He couldn't wait to see Gir's happy face greet him. How he would make Dib pay.  
  
He sneezed loudly.  
  
Zim knocked down the vent cover with a clang as he sneezed. He sat there in shock for a moment, dumbfounded. Dib, of course, had heard everything and let out a victorious cry. Zim clambered out of the vent as fast as he could and sprinted off, slowed by his injured foot and fever. Dib started after him, and the chase began.  
  
  
  
Oooo, I'm so evil. I'm gonna let ya hang there for a while...heh heh...Anyway, please review, or I'll go insane and eat your toes while you're sleeping!  
  
-Crystal 


	5. Dib's New Weapon

Hurray! I'm 13 now! *takes a bow* Hurray for me! *grins stupidly* Well, anyway, I'd like to thank anybody who's reading this and has been reading my work. You make me so happy...I love you all. *blows kisses* I'm feeling extra sappy today...Hmm, oh well. Anyway, here's the new chapter you've all been waiting for! Please review!  
  
VioletWolf drew me this awesome picture. THANK YOU SO MUCH! http://www.geocities.com/dardarhead/sickuncool.JPG  
  
Disclaimer: CARROT TOP ATE MY PANTS!  
  
Dib's New Weapon  
  
Dib grinned as he saw Zim fleeing. It proved that he was the superior one, that he was the one in control. He had the home advantage. Dib knew every pathway in his dad's lab, and took a short cut so he'd be able to cut Zim off.  
  
Zim was panting painfully, hardly able to breathe. His foot was ailing him badly, and he knew he couldn't go on much farther. He looked behind him, and was surprised to see that Dib wasn't there. He stopped and sat down, glad to have a little break. He was starting to feel extremely delirious and couldn't really think straight. He pulled off his boots and grimaced as he looked his bleeding, injured foot.  
  
On closer inspection, Zim saw that the area around the foot was puffed up and a dark purplish color. Zim sighed and put his boots back on, not wanting to look at his wound any more. He rubbed the sweat from his forehead and the back of his neck. He wished he could throw off his shirt, but he knew it would just make him even more vulnerable.  
  
All of a sudden, Dib appeared at the corner of the hall. Zim, not expecting this, struggled to get up, but Dib pounced on him and grabbed one of Zim's arms and twisted it behind the Irken's back. Zim let out a little yelp and bent back, and Dib put his free arm across his neck.  
  
Zim blinked, confused at how he'd ended up in this position. He could usually shake Dib off easily, but now it seemed impossible. Dib tightened the hold on Zim's neck, and Zim made a little gacking noise.  
  
Dib smirked, thinking that he'd won. Zim's eyes got big as he thought of something, and he bit the arm that was choking him. Dib yelled in pain and loosened his grip a little. Zim took this advantage and kicked back, hitting Dib in the gut. Dib fell back, and Zim ran off.  
  
Dib laid on the ground, stunned by what had just happened. It took him a moment to figure it out. After he'd pondered on it a while, he sat up and rubbed his stomach and wiped Zim's spit off his arm. 'He must've been desperate to sink that low,' he thought. He got up and walked down the hall.  
  
  
  
Zim ran down many halls, afraid to stop in case Dib was still following him some how. He'd grown a little lightheaded and didn't notice when the cut on his foot tore itself, enlarging it and letting blood seep through the boot. He wasn't going very fast, but was still breathing hard, his tongue hanging out. His antennae hung low and once and a while a sweat bead dropped off the end of one. Zim staggered when his digestive system let out a violent rumble. Although he didn't eat at skool, Zim still ate dinner when he got home, and he was extremely hungry. Even if there was food, he wouldn't be able to eat it with such a dry mouth. He was dehydrated from sweating so much.  
  
Zim ran himself ragged and soon tripped over his feet. He crashed into the floor and stayed down for about 10 minutes before he forced himself to go look for a decent hiding spot. He found an empty steel trashcan. He got as comfortable as he could and carefully replaced the lid. The steel was cold and cooled him down a little. He hugged his bent knees and rested his chin on them. He wondered how Gir was doing all by himself. He sighed and let his mind wander.  
  
  
  
Dib walked down the halls carefully, straining to hear any sound that might lead him to Zim. He wasn't searching for him, but Dib worried that his enemy might be planning some sort of attack. Dib shook his head. He knew Zim wouldn't have the strength to fight effectively, so why was he worried?  
  
Dib finally reached his destination and he looked all around him before entering the room. After assuring himself that Zim was nowhere to be seen, Dib slowly opened the door and went in. The room was just like the autopsy room, except that it was a little smaller and it had a computer in the left corner. Dib walked over to the table in the center of the room. He smiled as he prodded at the gray and pink lump on it. It was Zim's backpod. He'd been smart enough to take away from Zim, knowing that it was his main weapon.  
  
Dib got out a clipboard with a pencil and some papers and started testing the buttons on the pod. He flipped it over and saw two little holes. Dib had seen holes in Zim's back that looked like them. He chewed on his eraser and thought about this discovery. He took a closer look and saw that there was a tiny button in between the holes with some strange, alien writing underneath it. Dib had to press the button with his pencil tip.  
  
The pod buzzed and let off a bright red light. Dib backed away and shielded his eyes.  
  
"Backpod reset!"  
  
Spider legs popped out of the pod along with many wires and whips. The pod walked over to Dib, who tried to retreat. The spider legs grabbed Dib and pulled him straight up, holding him horizontally with his face to the floor. Two whips came down on Dib's back, and he yelled out as he felt a burning sensation. The spider legs let go of him suddenly, and the backpod sent two large wires at him. The wires went into the two holes that had just been burnt into Dib's back, and the pod attached itself to him.  
  
Dib blinked, then laughed as he realized that he now had a huge advantage.  
  
  
  
Ooo! Dib got Zim's backpod now! I hope you're not too confused - I don't know if I wrote the whole process well. Anyway, review or I'll make you listen to the Spongebob Squarepants theme song a million times!(cringe) 


	6. Plasma Blast

I couldn't wait to write this, so that's why there's a new chapter so early. I love writing. It allows me to vent about...stuff. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Please review.  
  
Disclaimer: At the power plant, I saw a flower, and it yelled at me!  
  
Plasma Blast  
  
It took Dib a little while to figure out how to work with the backpod. After a long half an hour of experimenting with it, Dib finally got the hang of it. If he wanted something out of the pod, he merely pictured it in his mind and it popped out. If he didn't know what it looked like, he thought of what it was called. If he didn't know what it was called, he'd give a description of how to use it. For example, if he wanted a flame thrower and didn't know what it looked like or what it was called, he'd simply think: something that shoots out fire.  
  
Dib let the door slam as he left the room. He used the spider legs to go through the hall silently and quickly. He popped out a heat detector and started searching the labs for Zim.  
  
Zim was half asleep in the trash can, daydreaming. He shifted his weight so his foot wouldn't sting so much against the cold steel. Suddenly, Zim heard a skittering sound, like sandpaper being scratched lightly. He propped up his antennae, confused. He shook his head and decided it was just his imagination. He leaned his head against the side of the trash can and closed his eyes.  
  
All at once, the trash can was blown apart. Zim's right arm stung and burnt, like a million needles were pricking him all at once. He grabbed at it and rubbed hard, feeling the blood starting to leak out. He closed his eyes hard and bit his lower lip. He could hardly suppress the scream he so badly wanted to yell out.  
  
Zim tried to see through the reddish smoke that was caused from the explosion. He saw a huge figure coming towards him. He backed away. It was Dib, walking with the spider legs, a heat detector over one of his eyes. He had a plasma gun in his hand and there were two larger plasma cannons supported by long pipes coming out of the backpod. Zim stared for awhile in awe, not knowing what to do. He regained his senses and struggled to get up.  
  
"I wouldn't move if I were you."  
  
Dib aimed all the guns at Zim. Zim hesitated, then hastily got up and dove out of the way as a shot came by his unharmed arm. He sprinted off down the hall, going as fast as his run-down body would allow him. Dib took careful aim and fired one of the plasma cannons.  
  
A huge ball of energy, glowing yellow and purple, hit Zim's back, perfectly centered. Zim screamed in agony as his back was burnt and electrified, turning his skin a dark blackish color and embedding his shirt into his skin. The muscles in his arms and legs went into uncontrollable spasms and jerked his whole body. He did a somersault in the air from the force of the blow and slammed into the wall, leaving a stain as he slid down it and landed on the floor with a thud.  
  
Zim coughed and tasted blood as he lay motionless on the floor. Dib watched, chuckling deeply. He was victorious, and both of them knew it. Zim didn't even open his eyes, let alone try to get up. Dib folded up the spider legs and plasma cannons, but kept the plasma gun in his hand - just in case. He walked slowly over to Zim, letting each step's sound echo through the hall.  
  
Zim's body shuddered. He'd gone from being extremely hot and sweaty to extremely cold and stiff. Every breath he took was more labored and his ribs felt as if they would break any moment. He let his antennae fall limp onto the back of his head and neck. His back felt as if somebody had just mauled him with a chain saw.  
  
Dib looked down at his alien foe and sneered. He lifted his foot and dug his heel into Zim's charred back and beamed when Zim let out a pained whine.  
  
"Well, Zim, I must admit you put up a pretty good chase. But both of us knew it would come to this," Dib said slyly. Zim clenched his teeth together in anger, unable to do anything. He hated being helpless. Dib laid down on the floor and put his face up to Zim's, almost touching.  
  
"Hope you're not squeamish, or you won't do well tomorrow," Dib whispered. He got up, grinning cockily, and Zim heard him enter a room. He heard him pick something up that sounded metallic. It was a long, hollow pipe. Dib came back and held it up like a golf club. He took careful aim, then with all his might, swung at Zim's head. Zim heard a high pitched ringing and saw fireworks under his closed eyelids, and then there was nothing.  
  
O_o I scared myself. POOR ZIMMY! I feel so bad for him...dun worry, he's not dead. Future chapters will have more Gir in it for all you Gir-fans. Review please! I'd really appreciate it!  
  
-Crystal 


	7. Scientists

Yep. Here's yet another chapter. I feel sick today. Hopefully it won't ruin my writing. ~glee~ Anyway, please review, for I am a sad, sad person without my reviews...I have no life. WEE! HURRAY FOR ME! NO LIFE GIRL! *hugs Zim plushie* MINE! Oh yeah, this is gonna be a long chapter, so be prepared!  
  
Disclaimer: I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T!  
  
Scientists  
  
"Is he awake yet?"  
  
"No sir, he's still out."  
  
"Hmm...well, try to stop the bleeding. We want him alive - remember that."  
  
The large, bulky scientist went back to the table, staring at the alien. It was a pale green color, only wearing a tattered pair of black pants. The two antennae atop its head fell limply behind its head and neck. Whatever it was, it looked as if it had taken quite a beating. The whole left side of its face was bruised badly, a dark purple color. Its right arm was bloody and burnt, and would require cleaning. The cut on its left foot wasn't very deep but looked infected. The wound on its back was very deep and was losing a large amount of blood. The skin around the wound was burnt and peeling off.  
  
The scientist, Hulk was his nickname, lifted the alien up and laid him flat on his stomach. He put on some rubber gloves and got out a towel and a pair of tweezers. Hulk started to work, pulling pieces of dead skin and fabric out of the wound. The alien jerked when the tweezers dug deep. After Hulk had finished, he wiped up the mess with the towel, then pressed it down on the alien's back to help stop the bleeding. They needed the specimen clean before they could do anything with it.  
  
It took about 15 minutes for Hulk to finally stop the blood flowing from the back. He sighed and threw out the bloody towel, which was now beyond cleaning. He sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The room was so brightly lit that the heat from the bulbs often annoyed working scientists. After a brief break, Hulk gently rolled the alien so it faced up, and set to work on the arm, using the same procedure from the back. It didn't take as long, for the wound wasn't as bad.  
  
Hulk saw the alien stir. He jumped back, expecting it to lash out at him. Instead, it moaned and rolled over to the side, letting blood dribble from its mouth down its chin. Hulk never thought about the possibility of internal injury. He shrugged, deciding to leave it to the next guy on shift. Hulk walked over to the alien's face and pulled open its mouth. He saw that its tongue was swollen and dry and that its gums were puffed up.  
  
'Obviously dehydrated,' Hulk thought. He left the room for a moment and walked over to a nearby soda machine. He'd been planning to buy one anyhow, and this would give him an excuse for having a drink around an experiment. He grabbed a little paper cup that was near the water cooler beside the soda machine and went back to the room.  
  
Inside, Hulk snapped open the can, and saw the alien's antennae quiver at the sound. He stared at it suspiciously for a few moments, then poured a small amount of liquid into the cup and guzzled what was left from the can. He walked over the emotionless alien's face and pried open its dry mouth. He poured a little amount of liquid into it, not wanting to choke or drown the specimen. As soon as the first drop hit its tongue, the alien swallowed it down gratefully. Hulk poured what was left into the alien's mouth and threw away the cup, satisfied with himself. He looked at his watch. His shift was over.  
  
  
  
Zim didn't wake up for a long time. When he did drift into consciousness, the pain came back and he knew he was no longer dreaming. His head throbbed with each pulse, and he still heard a horrible ringing sound, high pitched and annoying. He clenched his unharmed fist and cringed as a sharp pain shot up through his spine. He strained to try and push the pain down and tried to ignore it, but was unsuccessful and cried out, jerking his body forward and kicking wildly. He fell off of whatever he had been laying on and grunted as he landed on the hard concrete floor. He felt a pair of strong, gloved hands grabbing at him and he pulled away to get loose, but was punished by having a thumb dug into his bare back.  
  
Zim was slammed hard to the table with such force that it made him cough. He opened his eyes for the first time, finding his left eye to be swelled almost completely shut. He looked up to see two goggled eyes looking down at him. It was a woman, her dark hair in a ponytail so it wouldn't fall in her face. She seemed fixated on Zim's eyes. She couldn't get over their color and how they shined in the bright light. Zim tried to pull away, disturbed by how the scientist was staring at him.  
  
After a few moments of confusion, Zim finally remembered what had happened between him and Dib. His eyes went wide and he mouthed the word 'no.' Panic took over him and he tried to squirm out of the woman's grip, kicking and pulling at her long fingers with his good arm. The woman half smiled and looked over to her male assistant whom Zim did not notice before.  
  
"He's a feisty one, isn't he Chuck?" she said. Chuck smiled and nodded. "Could you hold him down while I restrain him?"  
  
"Sure Sierra."  
  
Chuck, a strong and tall man, grabbed Zim by the shoulders and held him down. Zim struggled and kicked and even bit at his hand. He was getting desperate. Suddenly, Chuck smacked Zim across the head, hitting his bruised area hard. Zim's eyes rolled, and he saw colors flash. The ringing and the throbbing increased to an unbearable level, almost causing him to faint. He managed to fight most of the pain off, but fell limp and no longer struggled from Chuck's grip.  
  
Sierra pulled metal latches from the table and locked Zim's ankles, knees, stomach area, chest, elbows, and wrists down. Surprisingly, she left his neck and head alone. Zim looked up to see if he'd be able to escape the same way as before, picking the locks with his antennae, but was disappointed to learn that the latches were kept down by tight screws instead of locks.  
  
Sierra finished, and Chuck took his tight grip off of Zim's shoulders. They looked down at Zim, smiling as if he was a cute little zoo animal they were going to study. Zim hated it, and glared at them. Sierra whispered something to Chuck, and the two left the room.  
  
When they left, Zim got his first good view on his surroundings. It was like the room at Dib's labs, only bigger. There was a refrigerator in the left corner by the door, along with some cabinets and a sink. In the right corner to Zim's back was a large computer and a desk with office supplies on it. Beside the table Zim was laying on was a metal tray, larger than the one at Dib's lab. Zim cringed, knowing what it was used for. The worst part of the room would have to be the lights. They hung from the ceiling, making Zim squint whenever he opened his eyes and sweat from their heat.  
  
Sierra and Chuck came back, startling Zim and making him jump. Chuck went to the fridge and took a cup from it and poured a white liquid into it. He gave it to Sierra, who came over to Zim. She tried to force it into Zim's mouth, but Zim turned his head away. He was thirsty, for he hadn't had anything to drink since the drop of soda, but he knew the liquid was probably drugged.  
  
Sierra sighed, annoyed. Such a simple task was going to be made difficult by the alien's defiant behavior. "Chuck, I'm gonna need your help again." Chuck came over and put his hands at the sides of Zim's head, locking it in place. Sierra tried forcing the cup into Zim's mouth again, but he kept his teeth clenched shut, still refusing to drink. Sierra dug the cup into his raw gums, making his mouth bleed.  
  
"Look, you're gonna drink this no matter what! You either drink it the easy way or you drink it through a needle in your arm!" she shouted, irritated and angry. Zim was startled by the sudden outburst, and looked up at the scientist helplessly. She tried again. Zim didn't resist and he shamefully found himself drinking it down greedily. It tasted sweet and bitter, like nectar. Zim didn't like it, but at least his mouth wasn't so dry anymore.  
  
"Hmph," Sierra huffed, and the two scientists left the room. Zim yawned and became drowsy. His worries sunk to the depths of his mind, leaving him numb but strangely happy.  
  
"I knew it was drugged," he said as he drifted into a deep slumber.  
  
  
  
"You can't do this!" Dib yelled desperately, chasing after Agent Stone, a top agent in the Swollen Eyeball Society.  
  
"I can and I will," was the agent's simple reply.  
  
"But...," Dib trailed off.  
  
Agent Stone turned to glare at Dib. "Since you violated the Swollen Eyeball code and tried to experiment with your discovery before checking with us, your case will be put off to next week. You should be happy. We would've scrapped the whole thing if you hadn't brought a living, breathing alien with you. Besides, we have other things to finish working on first."  
  
"Don't tell me your still working on the singing light bulb thing!" Dib shouted, frustrated. Agent Stone narrowed his eyes and sneered.  
  
"Such a violation of the code would have normally kicked you out of the Society," Stone said, ignoring Dib's comment. Dib backed away, deciding to leave the subject as it was. Agent Stone walked down the hall and left.  
  
Dib sighed and let his thoughts fast-forward to next week, and how they would experiment on Zim. He hadn't told the Society that water hurt him. He decided to wait. Dib walked down the hall, pondering different tests and grinning from time to time. He was so caught up in his thinking that he almost passed the room he was headed to. He smirked as he opened the door with the word 'Experiment' printed in bold on it.  
  
Inside, Dib had expected a furious Zim to be glaring at him, hissing in anger. Instead, Dib found Zim unconscious, head rolled to the side with his antennae flopped limply in his face. He had a worried expression on his face and whined from time to time, the cold metal latches digging into his bare skin.  
  
Dib smiled and walked over to the slumbering Zim. He looked down at him, his glasses glaring in the bright lights.  
  
"Right there..," Dib muttered, making cutting motions with his finger at the center of Zim's chest. He snickered and left the room.  
  
  
  
w00t! Okee, that was longer than usual, hope you weren't bored too much. Next chapter will have Gir in it, I promise. Okee day, please review, for it encourages me to add more faster. Thankies!  
  
-Crystal 


	8. Subject A

Oooiey, it's been a while, aye? I live! LIIIVE! Sorry it took so long pplz, I've just been busy/lazy lately. Okee. Review, or I shall send Minimoose to gently chew upon your head until you are sad! ~glee~  
  
Disclaimer: YOU MOCK ME, EVIL RED DEMON OF LAUGHTER!! *stabs Tickle- Me-Elmo*  
  
Subject A  
  
Back at the base...  
  
Gir had gotten the signal from his master's reactivated backpod a few days ago, and was happily making some pudding for his master's return. He threw in some carrots, frozen French fries, a fish, an apple, and a stuffed toy donkey. Gir giggled and threw the mixture into the freezer to save for later.  
  
The little robot skipped back into the living room and turned the TV on to the When Hobos Attack. He stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth laughed insanely as he watched a hobo chase after an ice cream truck, yelling random words.  
  
Gaz stomped down the road, carrying a bag of books. She was heading for Zim's house. The skool had a Buddy Reading program, and Gaz and Zim were paired together. They took turns reading to each other, Zim reading stories of impending doom, Gaz reading stories of horrible suffering. Neither of them enjoyed it, and they spent most of the time trying to avoid eye contact.  
  
At last Gaz reached the house. She sighed and rang the bell. The door was flung open and Gir bounced out with a bag of corn chips.  
  
"HI!" Gir chirped happily.  
  
Gaz clenched her fists in annoyance. "Where's Zim?"  
  
"Um...somewhere where I do not know!" Gir cried happily.  
  
"Well, why don't you find him?" Gaz growled at the android. Gir's eyes got wide and a smile stretched slowly across his face. He hadn't thought to track the signal from the backpod to his master. Perhaps he could find him. Gaz watched Gir's expression change and backed away, disturbed. Gir thought for a moment, then looked up at Gaz, smiling widely. He suddenly flung himself at her and gave her a big, sloppy kiss.  
  
"AAAUUGH!" Gaz smacked Gir off and threw the bag of books on top of him. She wiped her mouth frantically and ran down the street.  
  
  
  
At the Society  
  
Zim stared up at the lights, the left side of his bruised face throbbing. It had been a long time since he'd first been brought to the Society. He took a deep breath, trying to get as much air as possible. His throat was raw and swollen, choking him and making him wheeze as he exhaled. He still refused to eat and drink, and even if he accepted the offerings, he wouldn't be able to swallow it. Zim's body was wet and shining with sweat, caused from his fever. His wounds were still fragile, and the skin around them sometimes cracked and bled.  
  
Scientists sometimes stopped in to check if he was still alive, but for the most part, Zim was left alone. There was no way for him to tell how long he'd been in the room. The lights always were shining brightly, making his eyes water if he looked up. He couldn't tell the difference between the night and the day, and minutes seemed like hours. Zim had multiple emotions, furious one moment and terrified the next. The only time he had peace was in his sleep, but sometimes even his dreams taunted him.  
  
Zim clenched his teeth together and clicked his tongue inside his mouth. He pressed his antennae flat across his head and narrowed his eyes. With all the power that was left in him, he fought against the latches that kept him down. He struggled and pulled away, anger powering his muscles. The latches held. Zim stopped abruptly, knowing it was useless. He panted heavily, sweat stinging his eyes and his throat suffocating him. He felt something cold and thick slipping across his arm. His struggling had caused deep wounds near his elbows.  
  
Slowly, Zim rested his head to the side so it wouldn't throb as much. His thoughts drifted into worrying about what Gir would do without him and what the Tallest would think. He bit his lip and shook the thoughts away.  
  
The door was suddenly flung open, startling Zim and making him jerk. In walked Dib, smirking and holding a clipboard. Zim narrowed his eyes and glared at his enemy. He hadn't seen him since he'd been hit with the plasma blast. His cheek twitched as he thought.  
  
"Well, Zim, believe it or not, you've been in this room for 7 days now," said Dib, walking over to the table. "Tomorrow begins the experiments." He flipped through the papers on the clipboard. He walked around the table, inspecting Zim and his injuries. He wrote everything down. He needed the information to compare results.  
  
Zim's muscles twitched as he glared at Dib, never taking him out of his sight. He remained quiet and calm in his fury. He gritted his teeth in his mouth, moving them from side to side. Dib walked around the table one last time and stopped near Zim's head. He took out a candy bar and started eating it.  
  
"Gee, Zim. You sure have gotten thin. You on a diet or something?" Dib asked, chewing slowly. He knew Zim was starving and enjoyed the look on his face as he ate the candy. Zim couldn't take it.  
  
"You filthy little Earth monkey! You dare mock me with your OVERLY- SIZED HEAD?!" Zim yelled, not caring how loud it was. Dib's eyes got big at the word 'head'. Zim saw this and grinned. "Your head is SOOOO big, that the solar system revolves around IT instead of the sun!"  
  
Dib's eye twitched. "You're forgetting who has the advantage here..."  
  
"THERE ONCE WAS A BOY NAMED DIB!  
  
HIS HEAD WAS EXTREMELY BIG!  
  
THE UNIVERSE COLLAPSED  
  
AS HE LAID IT DOWN TO RELAX,  
  
AND EVERYONE ENDED UP DEAD!"  
  
Zim laughed as Dib backed away, flustered. Zim enjoyed Dib's irritation. Dib clenched his fists. He glared at Zim and pulled out a tazer from the backpod. Zim stopped laughing immediately. He'd forgotten about the backpod. Dib set the tazer to a high frequency and switched it on. A red glow came from it and it buzzed loudly. Zim's eyes got big as Dib walked up to him. He pulled away as Dib positioned the tazer near his neck.  
  
"You'd best learn to hold your tongue."  
  
Dib narrowed his eyes and pulled the tazer away, turning it off. A mechanical arm from the pod grabbed it and put it away. Zim sighed in relief. That particular tazer was a very strong one and would've easily killed him if he'd been zapped in the neck.  
  
"Now, Zim, I was sent here to tell you something," Dib said, glaring at Zim. "We're changing your name. We can't be calling you by your real name - it would sound to buddy-like. It wouldn't be right morally. Instead, you will be known as Subject Alien, Subject A for short." Dib grinned smugly, his glasses shining in the light. "You'd better get some rest - you've got a big day ahead of you." He pulled out a syringe.  
  
  
  
~woot~ I make Dib so evil, don't I? Zim keeps getting drugged up. Anyway, I think I need to tell you the game plan for future chapters. Okee...  
  
The next few chapters will have a little Gir segment at the beginning, maybe a little Dib segment after that (keyword: maybe), then the rest of the chapter will be completly about a freaky little test they do on Zim. I only know what one of them will be, so I can't tell you the experiments yet.  
  
After the tests will come some other stuff - but I'm not telling you now! HA HA! I LAUGH AT YOUR SUSPENSE! MUAHAHAHAHA! *ahem* Anyway, please review!  
  
-Crystal 


	9. Whips

I'm SOOOO mad at myself right now...I missed the new Zim ep. CURSE YOU, DEMON OF FORGETFULNESS! It dun really matter though, cause I would've needed a new tape anyway. *big sigh* The only good thing that happened to me was winning second in the 220 yd. dash..EAT THAT, FILTHY TRACK RUNNERS! I BEAT YOU ALL! MUAHAHAHAHAHA! Um...yeah. Okee, let's get on with the chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: Screaming caterpillars ROCK!  
  
Whips  
  
Back at the base...  
  
Gir spun in the computer chair, pushing random buttons and chewing on cornbread. He was sitting in the transmission room. He'd taken out his memory disk and connected it to several wires, which were now processing the backpod's signal he'd received.  
  
"Computer?"  
  
The computer groaned. "What now?"  
  
"How long is this going to take?"  
  
"Like I said before, it will take about 48 hours to extract the data, process it, and locate where the signal came from."  
  
"Uh-huh..." Gir sipped on tomato soda. He was bored. He didn't like sitting still. He looked around, trying to find something to do. He noticed the transmission signal control pad. It was already set to call the Tallest. Gir's eyes glowed as he thought of a great idea.  
  
Gir popped a cloaking beam out of his front storage latch. He set it so it would shoot out a projection of his master. Gir took careful aim and shot himself. There was a bright green glow, and Gir felt a slight tingle of electricity. He ran over to the closest mirror and giggled. He now looked exactly like Zim.  
  
Gir bounced up and down with excitement. Perhaps he wouldn't be so bored after all. He ran over to the transmission control pad and pushed a big red button. After a few moments, the Tallest appeared on the main screen. Gir stuck his tongue out and held back his laughter.  
  
"What do you want now, Zim?" Red said, Purple playing with a yo-yo behind him.  
  
"WAZZZZZZUP?!" Gir yelled, waving both arms around insanely. Red's eyes widened and Purple dropped his yo-yo. They'd known Zim was a little off, but not totally brain-dead. This kind of behavior wasn't like him.  
  
"Is this some kind of joke?" Purple asked, picking up the yo-yo and cradling it lovingly. Red looked back at him with disgust.  
  
"Master Z is in da hood! Wat up wit yo, peeps?" Gir said, making rapper-like motions with his hands. He put a hat on backwards along with some sunglasses. He crossed his arms and glared up at the Tallest.  
  
Red scratched at his head, confused. Purple giggled and started playing with the yo-yo again. "Hood?...Peeps?" Red stuttered, unable to decipher the meaning of the words. Purple burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. The way Red had said the words was funny. He accidentally threw the yo-yo at Red's head.  
  
The yo-yo bonked Red right on the top of his head. He turned and glared at Purple, who was grabbing at his sides, laughing. His cheek twitched. He floated behind Purple and kicked at the levitation device. It let off some sparks and went dead, causing Purple to drop heavily to the floor with a grunt. Red smirked, satisfied.  
  
"You know, you're very immature," Purple said, forcing himself up.  
  
"ME? Your the one playing with a yo-yo, acting like a three year old!" Red said, pointing at the yo-yo which was now broken. Purple gasped.  
  
"MR. WHIZHEAD!" he yelled, rushing to the broken yo-yo. He inspected it for a few moments and got up slowly. It was beyond repair. He glared at Red. "You murdered Mr. Whizhead!"  
  
"Why would you name your yo-yo?" Red said, giggling.  
  
"AYE YI YI YI YI!" Purple let out a high pitched battle cry and rushed at Red. Red backed away, surprised. Purple shoved him to the floor. "MR. WHIZHEAD, I SHALL AVENGE THEE!" he cried as he lashed out at Red.  
  
Gir smiled as he watched the carnage.  
  
  
  
At the Society  
  
Experiment: Whips  
  
Test Subject: Subject A  
  
How it works: Subject is placed in a completely dark room. Whips come out of the wall, trying to hit the subject. The blows become harder each time. Subject should try to avoid whips. Experiment ends when the subject is unconscious.  
  
Reason for Experiment: Tests subject's reflexes and reaction to sudden, sharp pain. Also a very good way to break a defiant subject's spirit.  
  
  
  
Zim groaned as he came to. The particular drug that Dib had injected into him always made him feel like throwing up. He felt something coming up his throat and quickly pulled his left hand up to his mouth. He kept his mouth shut tight and managed to fight away the urge.  
  
Zim's antenna shot up as he realized something. He was free to move around. He kicked his legs and waved his left arm around. His right arm was still burnt up pretty bad, so he didn't risk moving it. Zim sat up and smiled. It felt good to move around - he was beginning to get really restless and cramped. He went to stand up, but his burnt back cracked and started bleeding again and his left foot throbbed too much.  
  
After a while, Zim began to wonder if his eyes were stuck shut. He couldn't see anything. He carefully felt at his eyes. He accidentally poked himself and cringed as bright colors flashed from the pressure. He wasn't blind, and his eyes weren't shut. He sat for a while, confused by everything.  
  
Suddenly, Zim felt a sharp stinging pain at his right shoulder and he let out a high-pitched yelp. He grabbed at it and felt a fresh, shallow cut. He sat up, startled from the unexpected blow. Zim tilted his head, straining to hear. Shortly he heard a whooshing sound and felt another sting, this time at his left knee. Something was attacking him.  
  
Zim listened hard and soon heard another whooshing sound, coming from the right. He scurried out of the way, and heard a cracking noise as whatever was attacking him struck the floor. Zim panted, tired out from the sudden movements. He'd become slow and feeble. He was really unfit. He stayed still for only a few moments, for he heard another whooshing sound coming at him. He flung himself out of the way, but was still struck on the calf, causing him to let out a sharp cry.  
  
Zim rolled to his side, clutching at his leg. He'd been hit harder than the first time. He hoped it wasn't bleeding - he was weak enough already. Another whooshing sound came, and Zim, still holding his leg, was given a hard blow to the chest.  
  
"AAUUUUGGH!" Zim curled in a ball as he hugged his chest. It had a long, deep gash on it, and it was bleeding badly. A hot tear slipped down his face. The pain was too much to ignore or push away. Zim felt his pulse beating hard through him. Another whooshing sound was heard, and he was struck on his burnt right arm. Zim was too dazed and in too much pain to even try to avoid the attacks anymore. He was struck again and again, harder each time. He tried his best to handle the pain, but often found himself crying out.  
  
"Curse it all," he whispered softly as he was struck hard on the back. He closed his eyes and went limp.  
  
  
  
Well, that's experiment numero uno! There'll probably be two or three more, I'm not sure yet. By the way, for the people that have been asking, Zim is NOT going to die. I would never kill my favorite character. ^_^ Yep. Anyway, pleeeeeeeeeze review. I love you all so very much...except for that guy right there. *points* Heh heh...yeah.  
  
OoooOOoo! Here's a stupid joke!  
  
Q: Why did Tigger look down the toilet?  
  
A: He was looking for Pooh!  
  
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I don't get it. 


	10. Shocks and Spikes

Hurray for summer! No more filthy, stinky school with the evil teachers in it. Man, 7th grade sucked monkey balls. I could of skipped it all, except for science. Oh well, time to slap on your bathing suits and hop into your pool. Or, if your like me, you'll sit on a your butt all day staring at the computer/TV screen. It's fun to be lazy, no?  
  
Anyway, I didn't update this for a while and I apologize. I've been busy doing youth group stuff...and just being plain lazy too. Yeeep. Okee. Let's get the show on the road.  
  
Disclaimer: Yoshi eats berries. Mario eats pasta. Toad is a homo.  
  
Shocks and Spikes  
  
  
  
At the Base  
  
Gir danced happily about while wearing headphones with 'The Way You Like It' blaring loudly. There were only about 16 more hours to wait for the location of the backpod and his master.  
  
"TURN THAT HORRIBLE THING DOWN!" yelled the computer for the 50th time.  
  
"What?!" yelled Gir, not hearing.  
  
"GGGIIIRRGGGG...MOMAFOZNOAK!" screeched the computer as it crashed. Gir continued dancing and probably would've all day if the security alarm hadn't started flashing red. He took the headphones off and looked at the security camera screen. There was a little girl wearing a green sash and matching hat standing at the front door. She was carrying many boxes in a wagon and clipboard in her hand. Gir threw his dog disguise on and rushed up to greet her.  
  
"HI!" chirped Gir as he burst open the door. The little girl took a step back, shaking nervously.  
  
"Uh..ahem..yes, um, I'm selling cookies to help my Doom Scout troop and..ahem...would you care to, um, buy some?" the little girl stuttered, pointing at the box of Pepto Bismo flavored cookies. Gir blinked slowly, and tilted his head to the side. He started giggling.  
  
"You speak the funky language there," he said, smiling. The little girl sobbed. It was her first week on the Doom Scout troop and she was already failing. She didn't know what to do. She suddenly smiled, remembering what her troop leader had taught them to do in these kind of situations.  
  
"ALL RIGHT, YOU GREEN LITTLE MONGREL!" screamed the little girl, pulling out a rifle. "YOU SHALL BUY THESE COOKIES, OR I SHALL MAKE YOU BUY THEM!"  
  
Gir fluttered his eyelids. He hadn't been paying attention. He looked down the rifle's barrel. "Oooh! A trumpet!" he screamed in delight, tossing his head back. He put his lips over the barrel and started blowing. The girl stared in confusion for a few moments, then became angry and pulled the trigger.  
  
CORNK!  
  
The bullet hit Gir in the back of his mouth and bounced back on to his tongue. Since he was made of such strong metal, no damage was done. He swallowed the bullet, thinking it was rock candy. The girl ran off screaming. She left the wagon of cookies with Gir. Gir looked down at them and exploded with happiness.  
  
  
  
At The Society  
  
Dib sat in the Lounge Room, happily sipping on a soda. He was wearing a crisp, new lab coat and periwinkle goggles. He'd been promoted, and he was now known as Agent Mega Mothman(Agent M3), but most people knew him as 'sir'. He smiled, happy at how everything had worked out for him. Even he couldn't believe his good fortune at times. He smiled as he remembered the awards ceremony where he was awarded 'Agent of the Year.' He didn't care that only The Society knew about it - the public would find out soon enough.  
  
Dib put his feet up on the table, bending the computer chair back with a creak. He felt good. Real good. He guzzled what was left of his soda and threw it at the waste basket. And slouched in his chair and relaxed. He almost fell asleep, but the door slammed open as Sierra rushed in with the results from the experiment. Dib jumped, surprised. He looked over at Sierra in anger.  
  
"WHAT?!" Dib demanded.  
  
Sierra stepped back, a little hurt by Dib's actions. "Um, sorry to bother you sir, but the results are in."  
  
"And?"  
  
Sierra blinked. "Oh, right. Um.." She flipped through the papers. "Oh, here we are." She cleared her throat. "Well, this paper compares the subject to an average, full-grown man. It shows the pain factor for both the subject and the man. The subject handled more pain than the man before it fainted."  
  
"And this means what to me?" Dib said, tapping his finger on the table, obviously annoyed.  
  
"It means that the subject has more endurance and can handle harsher experiments, you dolt," Sierra said, increasingly angry. Dib was still a child and children shouldn't speak rudely to respected adults.  
  
"And where is the subject now?"  
  
"It's back in the 'Experiment' room, getting cleaned up for tomorrow."  
  
"Is it conscious?"  
  
"It wasn't when I was down there, but I don't know now."  
  
Dib put his hands together and brought them up to his face, thinking. Sierra stood motionless, watching his face. Dib sighed and shrugged.  
  
"Oh, yes, I almost forgot, sir," Sierra said, suddenly remembering something. She flipped through her papers. "Here...ahem. Okay, after some basic testing, sir, the subject's vital signs seem to be dropping or are very low. Its temperature is almost constantly 102 degrees."  
  
"Hmmm....well, we'll fit in any experiments we can, and we'll try to bring its health up. If it dies, we'll just go straight to the autopsy. Now, if you'd please leave, I've got things to take care of," Dib said, looking over at the pinball machine.  
  
  
  
Zim laid flat on his stomach on the familiar table of the Experiment room. He was still unconscious, but was still having nightmares about what he'd just been through. Hulk and Chuck were cleaning his wounds, but Chuck wasn't being very careful about it and often caused the cuts to crack or bleed.  
  
"You know, it's a good thing these little cuts are so small, cause we'd have to give this stupid thing some more blood if they were huge gashes," Chuck said, putting pressure on a slit on Zim's shoulder. Chuck was a little high-strung, cause he was forced to work overtime just to clean up the specimen. He wasn't getting paid any extra for it either. He was gonna have to have a little chat with the shift captain about his.  
  
Hulk gently pulled some dead skin out of a cut. He was used to working overtime without pay, and didn't really mind it. He was interested about the experiment anyway, so he was actually happy to stay. He glanced up at Chuck and shook his head.  
  
"You don't dig the tweezers into it, you'll just end up making it worse," he said. Chuck rolled his eyes and mumbled something. Hulk shook his head some more, then continued his work.  
  
Zim coughed hard as he started to regain consciousness, jerking his head to the side. The two scientists backed away at the sudden movement. Zim opened one of his eyes weakly and looked around. He couldn't see anything, his vision blurred from being under so long. He was about to rub at his eyes when the pain suddenly came back. It was overwhelming, making his muscles twitch and clogging his throat. He gasped and fainted again.  
  
"Pfft..figures. Why don't you be useful for once, Hulk, and get the painkillers?" Chuck said, pointing at the IV. Hulk sneered and rolled the IV over to Zim. He gently pulled up his left wrist and pricked the needle into him. Chuck was watching and curled his lip up in disgust.  
  
"What are you, a nurse? We don't get paid for caring you know, we just get paid to make sure it isn't dead. And even if it is, we can just say it was sick or something. In fact, we're not getting paid at all right now, so who cares?" Chuck said. "Anyway, wake it up again, it's easier to handle it then - and it's also a lot more fun." Chuck grinned as he said this, an evil glint in his eyes. Dib had given permission to all the scientists to do whatever they thought was necessary to break the subject's spirit, but it had to be awake.  
  
Hulk grunted in disgust, but started to shake Zim to wake him up. No response. He shook harder. Chuck groaned impatiently. "Pour water on it, or something!" Hulk walked over to the fridge and got the pitcher of water. He gave it to Chuck.  
  
"You do it. You're the torturous one."  
  
Chuck sneered. He walked over to Zim's head and raised the pitcher up high. He smirked evilly and poured the water down on the specimen.  
  
Zim woke up immediately. He shot up to a sitting position. Chuck backed away. Zim sat for a moment, then started shrieking as his skin began smoking. He fell off the table with a thud. To his surprise, he hardly felt the impact. He also didn't feel much burning from the water, considering the amount that was poured on him.  
  
Hulk walked over to Zim and picked him up. Zim didn't struggle, for he was too confused about why he didn't feel much pain any more. Hulk laid him down on the table, face up this time. Chuck was staring at Zim, wide eyed.  
  
"Did you see that? He was, like, on fire or something! Just because I poured water on him!" he yelled, pointing at the pitcher.  
  
"Make sure you write it down. It may be valuable," said Hulk, reaching for his tweezers again.  
  
Zim just laid there, trying to understand. 'I should be in pain right now,' he thought, deeply puzzled. All he felt was the dryness of his mouth and the sweat rolling down his face. He was a little hungry, but it wasn't a painful starvation feeling yet. Or if it was, he didn't feel it. He also felt a thick object protruding out of his wrist. He shifted around so he could see it. 'Pffft...just some type of drug,' he thought, half disappointed. He sat up and looked around. To the right was a big, chunky man he'd never seen before. To the left was the man who'd hit him before. Zim cringed as he remembered.  
  
"Aww, look, he remembers me," Chuck said, seeing Zim eyeing him. Hulk raised an eyebrow. Chuck grinned and came closer to Zim, who inched away. Zim didn't want to get hit again, even if he wouldn't feel the pain right then and there. He'd feel it later.  
  
"What's the matter, pip-squeak?" said Chuck, still coming closer. "Don't ya like your Uncle Chuck?" Zim spun around and went to jump off the table, but Chuck grabbed his antenna and pulled him up to eye level. Zim grabbed at Chuck's wrist, not wanting to let his antenna be pulled out. Once he got a good hold, he started kicking at Chuck, aiming for his chest. Chuck, annoyed, grabbed Zim's neck with his free hand.  
  
"Put him down!" yelled Hulk, enraged. He wouldn't stand for such inhumane treatment, even if it was a test subject.  
  
"Fine," Chuck said with a smirk. He raised Zim up high, and with great force, slammed him down on the table. Zim went in to a coughing fit, and Chuck watched with satisfaction. Hulk's cheek twitched. How he wanted to smack Chuck.  
  
'Oh, please let them leave me alone, please let them go away,' Zim thought, mad at himself for being so frightened. But he couldn't help it - Chuck was cruel and unpredictable.  
  
Hulk sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess we should get back to work then," he said, pulling the tweezers out again. Chuck nodded. Zim arched his antenna up quizzically. Hulk bent over Zim, aiming for the big wound on his chest. Zim saw the tweezers and went into a panic, thinking it was a dissection.  
  
"NO!" he yelled pulling back and almost falling off the table again. "STAY AWAY FROM ME, OR...or...DOOM!"  
  
Chuck started laughing. "Doom! DOOM!" he said mockingly.  
  
Hulk raised an eyebrow. "Doom?" he said, rubbing at his chin.  
  
Zim stared blankly at the two scientists for a moment and became angry. He couldn't stand being laughed at. He glared at Chuck, gritting his teeth. He let his anger and hatred take over him, and he jumped off the table towards Chuck. Chuck, still laughing, was completely taken by surprise when the little alien landed on his chest. Zim started punching at him, not really aiming anywhere.  
  
"Filthy little monkey pig, you dare mock me?!" he yelled in his fury. Hulk rushed over and grabbed Zim's foot, pulling him upside down into the air. He was holding a syringe. Zim saw this and started kicking to get free.  
  
"Chuck write this down," Hulk said, keeping a good hold on Zim's foot. "11:47 PM, subject becomes too aggressive to handle consciously." He brought down the syringe. "Sorry little bugger," he said sadly.  
  
------------------------------------  
  
The next day  
  
------------------------------------  
  
Experiment: Shocks And Spikes(S&S)  
  
Test Subject: Subject A  
  
How it Works: Subject is latched down to a small, metal table. The subject is latched at the wrists, ankles, neck, and waist. Above the subject is a block of spikes connected to a chain link. If the subject struggles, it will get a shock from the table and the spikes will be lowered. How far the spikes come down and how bad the shock is determined by how hard the subject is struggling. Experiment ends if subject faints, understands what is going on, or if the spikes come too close.  
  
Reason for Experiment: Tests to see if the subject can figure out problems under pressure. Also tests how well subject can handle electrical charges.  
  
  
  
Zim was restrained on a rolling cart and was being pushed down the halls of The Society. His wounds from the last experiment were scabbed over and didn't hurt as badly as before. He squinted as the lights on the ceiling went by, each light brighter than the next, or so it seemed to him. He couldn't see who was pushing him, but it was probably better that way.  
  
Thoughts raced around in his head, worries and hopes. One thought of escape crossed his mind and almost made him laugh in triumph. But when they approached their destination, a door with 'Testing In Progress' printed on it in bold, red letters, Zim was filled with nothing but dread. He thought of ways to try and stall his fate, but it was impossible, for his mind was blank from anxiety.  
  
They stopped in front of the door. The scientist who had been pushing him came around and gave him an evil glare, then went into the room. Zim laid on the table, half trembling, wondering what was to happen to him, if he'd survive, and what other horrors awaited him if he did. A thought of suicide came across his mind, but he hurriedly shook it away. He would never, ever resort to that, no matter how bad it was.  
  
A few minutes passed, and two strong looking scientists came out of the room. They pushed Zim and the cart into the room. It was poorly lit and looked old and unused. Zim strained his neck up to see. In the middle of the room was a small metal table with wires coming out at the sides. To the left and right were computers where the wires connected into. But the thing that held Zim's attention was the spikes hanging above the table, glistening in the dim light of the room.  
  
The cart came to a stop near the table. The two strong scientists started to unlatch Zim from the cart. Zim, dumbstruck from the sight of the dagger like spikes, didn't fight against the scientist when he picked him up. The man laid him flat on the table while the other started latching Zim down.  
  
'Oh no, no, no, no, no...' Zim thought over and over again, still staring at the spikes. 'This is not happening...it can't be.' He didn't even notice when the final latch was done and the two scientists grabbed the cart and started to leave.  
  
"That was pretty easy," said the one, taller scientist. He'd been told that the test subject was very aggressive, and was surprised that they'd had no problems restraining it. The other scientist nodded. They left the room with a slam of the door.  
  
Zim jumped at the noise. The slamming door brought him back to his senses. 'I gotta get out of here,' he thought. He inspected the latches. They looked weaker than the ones in the 'Experiment' room. Zim half smiled. Perhaps this was his key to freedom. He laid quiet for a few moments, listening for any other scientists and watching the spikes. After he was sure he was safe, he started pulling to get loose.  
  
A strong jolt of electricity went through Zim's body, taking him completely off guard and making him yelp. His antenna shot straight up and sizzled. Zim heard a loud clanking noise, like old chains being forced to work hard. Zim looked up and saw the spikes coming down. His eyes bulged. He struggled harder to get loose. Another jolt went through him, more intense this time, making his eyes water. The spikes came down faster.  
  
'This isn't science!' he thought, pulse pumping hard and fast, 'It's torture!' He gave one final pull to get loose, giving it all the strength he had. The shock of electricity made him cough, jerking his body, burning his skin. He looked up at the spikes coming down even faster than before. He laid limp, sunk in body and spirit. He'd given up.  
  
After a few moments, the spikes stopped moving. Zim saw this and tilted his head in confusion. 'Why don't they finish me off?' he wondered. Forgetting that his hand was restrained down, he tried lifting it up to scratch his head. He got a tiny shock and the spikes dropped a few centimeters. Zim blinked a few times, trying to think. He lifted his hand up again. Another tiny shock and a few more centimeters.  
  
Suddenly understanding everything, Zim sighed in deep relief. He looked up at the spikes. If he wasn't restrained, he could reach up and touch it. He started laughing insanely, tired and delirious, but so relieved that he was numb from all pain. The lights flashed on and the spikes climbed back up to their original height. The two strong scientists from before reentered, bringing back the cart and carrying yet another syringe.  
  
"HAH HAH HAH WHOOoooo boy..," Zim chuckled as he drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
Well, at least Zim's experiment ended on a happy note. Also in this chapter shows my deep hatred of the Girl Scout cookies. Again, sorry for the delay peoples, I'll try and speed up the next chapter.  
  
Fact: This took 2 and a half days, 4 sodas, a pop-tart, and a jug of Pepto Bismo to write!  
  
-Crystal 


	11. Splish Splash

  Okay, people, you'd better appreciate this chapter, cause I can hardly see what I'm typing. My whole left eye is blurred completely. If there are a lot of typos, please let me know, cause I can't see properly.

  A lot of stuff has been going on, so I haven't been able to update as much as I'd like to. Sorry for the delay people, I don't really have an excuse. But would you rather have a crappy chapter right away, or a good chapter after a long wait? I dunno, some people might prefer the crappy one. Whatever. I'll try and update whenever I get the chance. Just so ya know, I'm not abandoning this story, ever.

Disclaimer: Breaking the law is fun!

Chapter 11

Gir skipped along the sidewalk, deep in the city. The computer had finally finished tracing Zim's backpod and given Gir the address. According to the computer, Zim's backpod was somewhere in the basement of an abandoned K-mart.

            "Hey little doggy," said an old, fat man with sunglasses, sitting on his stoop. "I like your tail...heh heh heh..." Gir smiled and wagged his tail happily, causing the old man to laugh harder, making him hack. Gir continued on his way, but was soon stopped by a shady figure in the alley.

            "Hey you," said the voice. Gir looked around and pointed to himself, confused. "Yeah you. Come 'ere. I got sumthin' for yous..." Gir shrugged and walked into the alley. The person calling to him was a tall man hidden under a large trench coat and hat. He pulled something out of the inside of his trench coat. It was a watch.

            "Ya see this? It's a very rare, very expensive watch. Worth over 500 bucks. But for yous...I'll give it to ya for $8."

            "What's that red, beeping thing?" Gir said, pointing at what seemed to be a tracking device.

            "That?...um...that's..." 

            "And why are you so nervous? And why do I hear police sirens?"

            "How bout $2?"

            "DEAL!"

            The trench coat man smiled, taking Gir's money and flinging the watch at him. He ran off and out of sight.  Gir put on the watch and giggled. He walked out of the alley and found himself surrounded by police cars.

            "Put your hands up!" called the police chief through a megaphone. Two officers threw a net over Gir, while two others got their clubs ready. "We've gotcha now, sonny boy. No use in resisting. Bring him in!" A few officers grabbed at the tangled net and threw it into the police truck.

            Gir blinked and struggled to get up. "Am I gonna be on that Cops show?" he asked eagerly.

            "Not unless you put up a fight."

            Gir nodded and started yelling. "You'll never take me alive! Never! I'm innocent, I swear! I was holding it for my cousin! Eat at Joe's!"

            "Tell it to the judge," said the driver, and they sped off toward the jail.

At the Society

Experiment: Splish Splash

Test Subject: Subject A

How it Works: Subject is latched to a platform on the ceiling in a way so that it can see the floor. Subject's wrists, ankles, and waist are latched down, but its neck remains free. Below the subject is a deep pool of water. The platform can be lowered into the pool at high speeds, but can't go back up very fast - technical problems. Experiment ends if subject when subject faints or nearly drowns.

Reason for Experiment: Tests subject's reaction to water - two scientists discovered a chemical reaction of some sort. 

Zim shook his head as he woke up. He had the strangest feeling he was falling. He slowly opened one of his eyes and was a bit confused at what he saw. Far below him, there was a big, blue circle, filled with something that seemed to be moving. A few small, black dots moved around, and Zim soon realized they were the heads of people.

            He blinked a few times and tried to think. Sweat rolled down between his eyes and dripped down. It fell down into the blue circle, and Zim saw the shadows of ripples form. 

            "Mommy," Zim said quietly in a high pitched voice. Not only was he hanging high in the air, but he was hanging over water. He started trembling, unable to control his emotions. Pride and honor drifted away, and Zim found himself ready to cry out for mercy. He'd never been in anything deeper than a puddle, and that alone had been torture. How would he possibly survive in a 12 foot deep pool?

            Zim heard a loud clanking noise, and the platform he was on started moving down. His eyes went wide as he saw the blue circle grow larger. He heard another clank, and the platform went faster. All of Zim's memories of water balloons and rain storms came rushing back. There was one last clank, and the platform went rushing down toward the pool. Air rushed up at Zim and pushed him hard onto the platform, making his eyes water. 

            "Oh, please, no, you can't!" Zim screamed as he saw his reflection in the water, but his voice was drained out by the whistle of the speeding platform's wind. There was a huge splash and the squeal of brakes as the platform slowed itself down.

            Zim stung with pain from the force of entering the water at such a high speed, his breath taken away. After only a brief moment underwater, the burning began. The pain took over him, throwing away all other thoughts or feelings. Zim let out a gurgled shriek, unable to cope with it. It was a deep, unspeakable pain, like no other Zim had felt.

            Soon, Zim felt his chest burning from lack of oxygen, and he knew he couldn't hold up much longer. He panicked and started struggling to get free. But it was useless, the burning pain only getting worse and crippling him. Zim's chest caved in and he gasped for air, but he ended up breathing in a lot of water. Zim went limp and decided to give himself up to death. The pain dulled down a little as he started to drift off into the darkness.

            There was a rush of air and a loud grinding noise as the platform pulled itself out of the water and back up towards the ceiling. Zim coughed hard, forcing his body forward. Most of the water he'd swallowed, along with some blood, came out, but not with out pain.  The burning stopped and became a dull ache. Zim's muscles quivered as the water dripped off of him. He felt a mix of emotions, but ultimately felt like breaking down and crying. He couldn't take such harsh physical stress anymore, and everybody was against him. They wouldn't care if he broke his neck during an experiment - they'd drug him up and put him in another. 

            The platform finally reached the ceiling and halted with a clang. There was a loud buzz from a loudspeaker, and a bridge started to extend from the two sides of the room. After the bridge was complete and stable underneath Zim, two scientists appeared and apprached Zim. Zim didn't see either of them. The light had gone out of his eyes. He'd lost hope.

Oiy, that chapter was short. I didn't mean for it to be - I actually had more to add, but I didn't have enough time. Sorry folks. Next chapter is going to be a lot better and longer. At least I finally updated! Heh...yeah. Anyway, thanks for being so patient. Seeya in about two weeks - maybe even less!

                                                                                                                        -Crystal


	12. Enter Doctor Conway

Hi folks, it's been a while, I know. Sorry, but I've been busy lately doing nothing. Gamecube ate my soul(again) and that's all I can think about. Anyone else have Sonic Adventure 2 Battle? Yeah, anyway.

            I'm gonna try and hurry with the next chapter but I may be slowed with school and everything. They changed the schedule so we have 10 periods. Yay. Okay, I'll be quiet now. Let's get going.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my stuff.

            Chapter 12

            Enter Dr. Conway

            Zim laid flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling, not really focusing on anything. He was exhausted, mentally and physically. He no longer cared about anything. His only hope was that all the pain would go away soon. 

            "Hey there, buddy," said Hulk, looming over Zim and blocking his view. "Are ya thirsty?" Hulk had been trying to be kind towards Zim, for he could see that he'd lost the will to live. Zim blinked slowly and shook his head. Hulk frowned. "Oh, all right then. Just tell me if ya need anything."

            Chuck sat at the other side of the room, eating a chocolate donut while looking over some test results. "Oh please, Hulk, you make me sick. Dib said not to show compassion for the specimen. It'll confuse him. Besides, he don't look like he's gonna live much longer anyway." He opened up a cabinet shelf and started shuffling through files. He pulled out a folder and pulled out a picture.

            Hulk raised an eyebrow. "Those are classified files you realize?"

            "You're point?" asked Chuck shrugging. He finished off what was left of his donut and gave the photo to Hulk. "See? That's the subject when we first brought him in. Compare the photo to the subject now. He looks like a zombie."

            Hulk eyed the photo, then looked back up at Zim. "Oh...how horrible..." he gasped, and forced the photo back into Chuck's hands. "Put it away, put it away!"

            Chuck rolled his eyes. "You're way too sensitive. Just think of the alien as an overgrown lab rat." He put the photo back in the folder.

            "Dib is gonna kill you if he sees what you did to that folder," said Hulk, pointing. Chuck looked down and saw the big brown stain from his donut. Chuck shook his head and sneered.

            "You know, if Dib even tried to fire me, I'd just bust a cap in his-"

            "AHEM."

            Chuck turned around to find Dib staring at him crossly, tapping his foot.             

"H-h-hey! Been there long?"

            "Long enough. I see that you've been looking through some classified files there. Would you mind telling me why?" Dib said, still tapping his foot.

            "S-sir, I was merely-" Chuck started.

            "No. Just leave the room without a word. We'll talk later." Dib pointed at the door.

            "Yes, sir," growled Chuck, and he exited, slamming the door behind him.

            "Well." Dib cleared his throat. "I just came by cause I wanted to check up on our lovely little alien. How is he?"

            Hulk looked down at his clipboard. "Uh, his temperature is above normal and steady, his breathing is irregular, and I think he's sick. He won't eat or drink either, and he won't talk. I think his throat might be infected with something. He coughs in his sleep and once and a while he-"

            "I wasn't asking you, Hulk. You may leave the room if you please." 

            "Oh. All right then. I'll just sit the clipboard down on the table if you need it. See you later, sir." Hulk sat his clipboard down on the table and headed toward the door.

            "Hulk, before ya leave, could you take the restraints off the subject? It would make things so much easier," Dib said. Zim cringed, a little frightened by Dib's tone of voice. Hulk nodded and undid the restraints. "Thank you Hulk. You can go now," Dib said as a grin grew on his face. Zim trembled slightly as he saw Hulk leave. Dib saw this and his grin grew.

            "So Zim. Subject A," Dib said, walking slowly towards Zim's table, "I believe I see a little fear in your eyes. Am I correct?" Zim tried to stand up but was crippled with pain. He barely managed to sit up. "I also see frailty. Am I correct on that as well?" Dib snickered, coming still closer. Zim watched him with dread. "But something is missing. Yes, there's definitely something missing." Dib suddenly stopped. "Tell me, would that something be..." Spider legs shot out of the backpod, raising Dib high in the air and flinging him towards Zim. Dib landed gracefully over Zim, two robotic legs beside Zim's head, two longer ones on the ground, and two just to the side of Dib's head, ready to attack if Zim dared to move. Before he could even tell what happened, Zim was staring up at his enemy. "...hope?"

            Zim cowered below Dib, petrified. He panted, feeling the sweat going down his neck and back. Although he knew he was sweating badly, Zim felt horribly cold and shivered. Dib smiled and raised one of the robotic legs near his head high.

            "Yes, I do believe you've given up. Rightfully so. I'm glad you've finally come to you're senses. But it would help a lot if you'd admit it for me. You think you can do that?" Dib glared at Zim, waiting for an answer. Zim just stared up at him, frozen. "Fine. I suppose I'll just have to persuade you!"

            The raised robotic leg rushed down at Zim, striking him hard in the left shoulder. Zim yelped and rolled to his side, cradling his bleeding wound. "Well? I'm waiting." Dib looked down at his watch and waited for 10 seconds. He sighed. "Why must you be so stubborn Zim? You're only hurting yourself." A second leg came down, this time striking Zim on the side of the head with great force, causing him to fly off the table and crash into the wall.

            Zim's head throbbed horribly and he whined in pain, letting a few tears slide down his face. He was dizzy and felt like he'd cracked open his skull. Dib laughed loudly. "Oh Zim! I'm so very sorry!" he said in a high, mocking voice. "Did I hurt you? Here, let me help you up!" A dark purple wire flew out of the backpod towards Zim. It wrapped around him and pulled him up to Dib's eye level.

            "Say it." Zim was limp in the wire's grasp, confused and only half conscious. Dib shook his head. "We can't be sleeping now. Here, wake up." The wire tightened, squeezing Zim and cutting off is air. Zim heard his bones cracking. The squeezing stopped, and Zim breathed in deeply. He coughed slightly as he tried to get his air. Dib watched and beamed. He was greatly enjoying Zim's pain.

            "I wouldn't rest just yet Zim. Look." 

            Zim heard a buzzing noise and wondered if he was hearing things. He looked down at the wire and saw it had become a lighter color and it seemed to glow. He lowered his antennae, confused. 

            "Say it, or be shocked," Dib said coldly, glaring at Zim with disgust. "You don't have much time - tick tock, tick tock." Zim shook his head and strained to say something, but it was too raspy and soft for Dib to make out. "Can't ya talk Zim? Aww...too bad!" 

            Zim felt a deep burning inside his skin as he was electrocuted. He couldn't scream or close his eyes. It seemed to last forever, the pain just wouldn't stop.

            "Annnnd....now." Dib stopped the electric current, and Zim went numb and blacked out. Dib sighed and shook his head. "What a waste of time. Oh well." He unwrapped Zim's limp body and let it fall to the floor with a thud. "I suppose it wasn't an entire waste. At least it was mildly entertaining."

            "Well, I never would have guessed how right Agent Blink was!" said a woman's voice behind Dib. Dib dropped to the ground in alarm and spun around. He glared at the woman.

            "Who are you and what are you doing here?!" Dib demanded pointing at the woman. She was tall and skinny, with long brown hair that was braided down her back. She had light purple goggles with dark purple gloves and boots to match. She had a white lab coat on with a pin on the left side of her chest that said "Dr. Conway."

            "My name is September Conway, but you will know me as Dr. Conway. I was a former agent here, Agent Braid, but I quit to become a real doctor. Agent Blink - one of the higher up agents - called me the other day, saying that a young boy - you - had brought in an actual alien. He told me that you weren't handling the experiments that well and that somebody more professional should take over. He also said that he thought you were torturing the poor thing and that a doctor might be needed to help the specimen to recover. I offered my assistance, and here I am."

            "But, I've been getting nothing but compliments from Agent Stone and Agent Oak! You can't just come in here and expect me to believe your every word! You could be lying!" Dib said, refusing to let his discovery be taken away from him.

            "Here's my ID," replied Dr. Conway calmly, handing Dib a black card with blue letters. "If you still don't believe me, we could go to Agent Blink and have a little chat - and maybe we could discuss the steel thing on your back. Hiding discoveries, aren't we now?" she said, smiling.

            "But...," Dib stammered in disbelief.

            "Get over it kid. You lost your chance. You still might be able to work on studying the subject, but I think being able to control everything went to your head. We'll be taking the alien down to Office 18 for recovery. You're welcome to take notes, but you won't be allowed near the subject anymore."

            Dr. Conway went over to Zim and gently lifted him up over her shoulder, cradling his limp body. "I'm going to need all the test results and files on the subject. Could you get them out for me?" she asked Dib kindly.

            "ZIM'S MY ALIEN! MINE I TELL YOU! NOBODY ELSE'S! MINE!" Dib yelled hysterically.

            "You dare call yourself a scientist, boy? You have much to learn. Look at the test subject, just look at it. It's sick and hurt, and Agent Blink said it has lost the will to live. How many experiments has it been through?! Three. This is what it looks like after three experiments! This is inhumane in every way possible. I think you were a little too anxious for the autopsy, Dib, cause real scientists would not let their test subject get this badly hurt. Now, I need those papers. Kindly get them for me, or I will be forced to call Agent Blink."

            Dib stared at her blankly for a few moments, then got out the papers. "You can't take my award away," Dib said angrily. Dr. Conway smiled and nodded. 

            "No, that's yours to keep. Now, I must be on my way, so please open the door." Dib sneered and opened the door, letting Dr. Conway out. He slammed the door as she left.

Later...

            Zim regretted waking up. Every muscle burned in pain, every bone ached. It hurt staying still, but it hurt even more moving. He was cold but still sweating, with a sick, clammy feeling all over his skin. He coughed several times in an attempt to clear his throat, but it only caused a bad taste to come to his mouth.

            'I need sleep, sleep eases pain, sleep is good, nice..' Zim thought, and he pulled the soft covers over his shoulder and snuggled deeper into his pillow. He yawned and almost drifted back into his slumber when he realized that he was in a bed.

            'Wha..?!' he thought, sitting up immediately. He ignored all his aches and looked around. He was in a nice, big room with dark blue carpet and white wallpaper. The right side of the room had a very long picture of a deer standing near a waterfall. Beside the picture was a door, but it could only be opened with an I.D. card. Zim's bed was in the back of the room, stuck in the left side corner. It was a large bed, probably meant for two people, with white silk sheets and a warm white comforter. There were many pillows, all white, some with frills, and in all sizes and shapes. It was a nice change from the rock-hard table Zim was used to. Next to Zim's bed, there was a large recliner chair, a bookcase beside it.

            In the front of the room was a refrigerator, a table surrounded by four chairs next to it. There was a clipboard sitting on the table, probably with notes on Zim's recovery. In the center of the left wall, there was a medium sized T.V. with what looked like a video game console in front of it. Zim also noticed that the lights weren't nearly as bright as he'd become accustomed to. They were at a comfortable brightness, not too dark and not too bright. Zim studied his surroundings for a few moments, dumbfounded by how much things had changed. He scratched his head, thinking, and noticed a clunky band around his wrist. It was labeled 'Subject A.' He looked down at himself and was surprised to see he was wearing a shirt and new shorts. Both were baggy and a light, periwinkle blue. The shirt had buttons down the front and short sleeves. The shorts had a string tied to keep them secure and fit comfortably.

            Zim plopped back down into the pillows, thinking about all he'd just seen. 'Could this just be a hologram? Is this just another experiment?' he thought, completely perplexed. He was getting a headache, his head starting to ring slightly.

            "Are you still awake?" whispered a voice to the right. Zim forced himself back up and looked over at the door. There was a tall woman in a lab coat staring at him. She smiled, seeing him look her way. "Hi there, little guy," she said, waving at him. Zim ducked under the covers, worried that this new scientist would hurt him.

            "Now, now, don't worry. Nobody's gonna harm you in any way. This is a recovery area, and I'm the doctor, Dr. Conway, but you can call me Dr. C," she said, walking towards the bed. She sat down beside Zim. "Come on out. I'm here to help you."

            Zim didn't believe her. All people in lab coats were not to be trusted. Zim pulled the covers tighter over his head. Dr. Conway shook her head and sighed. She grabbed the covers and quickly threw them off the bed. Zim yelped and fell backwards off the bed, shocked at his sudden exposure. He landed on his back with a thud.

            "Sorry, buddy, but you can't hide. Let me help you up," Dr. Conway said gently, reaching down to pick Zim up. Zim panicked and tried to flee, but he was too clumsy and was quickly seized. He kicked and twisted to get loose, but Dr. Conway's hold was secure. "Don't fret little guy, Dib isn't around anymore! Please, settle down!" she said, holding the struggling Zim away from her.

            Zim kept twisting to get loose, still not believing the doctor. He struggled as hard as he could, but was stopped when he felt his insides gurgling. He felt something creeping up his throat, and quickly put his hands in front of his mouth.

            "Do you need a bucket?" Dr. Conway asked, and Zim nodded. The doctor sat Zim down on the bed and opened up the fridge, pulling out a bowl. She rushed back to Zim and put it in front of him.

            "Bllllleeeaaaaaahk!" Zim heaved. Dr. Conway patted his back as he coughed up the last of it. Zim wiped his mouth and eyes.

            "Feel better?" Dr. Conway asked kindly, still patting Zim's back.

            "Hnnng...," Zim moaned, feeling sicker than before. He coughed a few times, then went quiet.

            "I'll be right back, stay right there," Dr. Conway said, picking up the soiled bowl and heading towards the door. She left and was back in a few minutes with a pack of crackers. She sat back down beside Zim. "Want any?" she said, offering the crackers. 

            Zim shook his head. He was feeling really dizzy and queasy, not to mention weak. He sat cross-legged, holding his ankles and rocking from side to side. Dr. Conway wrapped her arm around him and made him lay across her lap.

            "Now that you're calmed down, I can explain a few things. Okay, once again, my name is Dr. Conway, but since you can't talk all that well at the moment, you can call me Dr. C. I took over for Dib. Anyway, this whole room is made just so you can recover. You're free to walk around, watch TV, eat or drink, read, and even play video games. The only downside is that every few hours, you'll have to get a shot. It'll help you recover faster. There will always be somebody in this room with you, sometimes me, sometimes my partners. We're here to help you."

            "You'll be going through some therapy for speech and walking. The therapy could take a long time, but since it's probably just injury and sickness keeping you from doing those things, we don't expect it to go that long." Dr. Conway picked up Zim's wrist with the band around it. "See this? It's sort of like a shock collar, but it goes around your wrist instead. If you really start to rebel or misbehave, we can shock you. There are three different settings. The first setting is just a little sting. We'll just give ya a little zap if you won't get up or something. The second setting hurts. If you still won't cooperate after a few first setting zaps, we'll turn it up to the second setting. The third setting will knock you out. We'll only use that if you attack one of the helpers or if you try to escape. Hopefully we won't be needing that."

            Zim nodded slowly, understanding that he had more freedom than before, but not as much as he first thought he had. He moaned quietly, his insides still gurgling inside him. He yawned, drowsy and worn out. Dr. Conway gently lifted him up and tucked him in. He snuggled deep into his pillow and fell asleep.

            Dr. Conway left the room, looking to the left to see how many people were observing the subject. She smiled, glad that the alien hadn't suspected it was being watched. "Now remember, people. No tapping on the glass or lighters, the subject thinks that there's a picture here, not a window." Happy about how the day went, she left one of her helpers in charge and headed to the lounge room.

At the Jail

            "CHEESE SEA LEPRECHAUNS!" yelled Gir as he had his picture taken. He was in an orange uniform with 'Convict 1234567' on his right.

            "Turn to the left!"

            Gir turned upside-down.

            "For the last time, are you sure you're not legally retarded?" asked the warden, annoyed.

            "Got donut?" Gir replied happily. He was enjoying himself veddy much. He'd never worn orange before and thought it matched his green doggy skin perfectly. He also enjoyed the photo shoot. It made him feel like a star. He smiled insanely as another picture was taken.

            "You know, sir, I think this convict of yours should be in the pound, not the jail," said a zitty teenage janitor. The warden sneered.

            "Get mopping, junior. I think I can tell the difference between a convict and a puppy dog, thank you very much."

            Gir was thrown in a smelly cell with a clogged up toilet. There were roaches crawling around and a dead rat hanging by its tail on the ceiling. The mattress on his bed had springs sticking out of it, and what looked like a severed arm under the pillow.

            "Don't I get a phone call?" Gir asked, jumping up and down on the bed.

            "You choose for either a phone call or a free harmonica," replied the guard.

            "HARMONICA!" Gir screamed, and the guard threw it at him. Gir instantly began blowing into it, making a horrible noise that could break glasses. The guard cringed.

            "You listen here, mutant convict boy dog. You either play better, or I will MAKE you play better!" the guard said

            "Temper, temper," said a familiar voice. The guard immediately straightened up and was silent. Gaz glared at him for a moment. "Leave." The guard ran away as fast as he could.

            "Hey! You're that...You!" Gir said. "What are you doing here?"

            "They pay me to kill the rats. What are you doing here?" Gaz said, glaring at the convict dog.

            "Ya know, I really have no idea. Could you get me out? I'm a man on a mission," Gir said, hitting his chest on the last part.

            Gaz thought a little bit. "Only if you give me that severed arm under the pillow."

            "Deal!"

            Yay! Dr. Conway burst Dib's bubble! Good for her! ~woot~ Yeah. Expect the next chapter within 3 weeks, give or take a few days. Hope you weren't disappointed. 

                                                                                                            -Crystal


	13. Therapy

Check it out! A new chapter so soon! I couldn't wait any longer, so I just went ahead a made it. Better than waiting a month and a half...oiy. I must apologize again for my total lack of updates on this, I had no intention of being so lazy. Thanks again to my patient readers, if it weren't for you, I probably would've abandoned the fic.

                School is a MAJOR headache, homework every day so far, especially in math. Yargh. I hardly have time to anything I like any more, so I put off all my homework just to write this. ^_^ Should I shutup? Okay, I will.

                Disclaimer: Hey there Mr. Cottonswab, is it time to clean my ears? Mmmm-hmmm! Hee hee heh heh hee hee!

Therapy

                Zim was sleeping peacefully in his bed, hugging his pillow and drooling slightly. He kicked in his sleep, dreaming about being free and running around. He was in a big meadow, eating an Irken sandwich and drinking an Irken soda. Gir appeared and he waved.

                "Gir it's you!" Zim cried to the robot.

                "Master? Master!" Gir shouted, and ran up to his master, giving him a hug.

                "See, Gir? No human can take me down. Now let's go create some havoc. Maybe blow up a few things, crush what's left." Gir didn't reply. Zim stared at him for a moment. Gir just stared off into space. Zim shook him gently. "Gir? Gir, can you hear me?" He shook harder. "Gir, answer me!"

                "Rise and shine!" Gir said, but it wasn't his voice. It was a woman's. "Time to get up, little guy."

                "What? Gir, are you okay? Gir? GIR!" Zim was becoming upset. "Gir this isn't funny!"

                "Early bird catches the worm! Early bird catches the worm!" Gir repeated over and over, his voice going higher each time, and he said it faster and louder. He started smoking. "EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM!" His circuits scrambled, and he exploded.

                Zim snapped awake and back into reality. He blinked a few times, trying to get the sleep out of his eyes so he could see better. He coughed a little in an attempt to clear his throat, but the build up of mucus was too thick to clear. A pounding headache was ailing him, along with a high fever and an aching shoulder. He looked over his unharmed shoulder and saw a blurred vision of a woman scientist in pink looking down at him.

                "Wakey, wakey. Time to get up," the scientist chimed. Zim sighed heavily in annoyance and pulled the covers over his head. He snuggled deep into his pillow, closing his eyes and yawning. "Now, now. You have to get up. We have work to do," the scientist said sternly.

                "Hmph," Zim replied, snuggling deeper into his pillow. He was sore and nauseous, and wanted to sleep rather than be in pain. Besides, he was in a recovery area. It wasn't like they could hurt him if he protested.

                "Please, don't be difficult," the scientist pleaded. Zim ignored her. "Fine. I'm sorry, but you brought this on yourself." She pulled a remote out of her lab coat pocket and pushed the top button. Zim heard a beeping noise and the band around his wrist lit up. He felt a sting, like he'd just been pinched, but all over his body.

                Zim thought for a moment, then decided to ignore the scientist again and go back to sleep. The scientist sighed and pushed the button again, giving Zim another sting. She was ignored again, so she pushed the button a few more times. She was getting annoyed.

                "I'm here to help you, you know. Please get up," she said, letting a little anger show. Zim yawned. "Very well. Forgive me, but you must be taught," she said, and she pushed the button below the first one.

                Zim heard a higher pitched beeping noise, and the wristband lit up brighter. After a few seconds, the shock came. Zim felt a slight burn, tiny but painful. His antennae stood on end, and the air got stuck in his throat. It stopped in an instant, leaving Zim confused and stinging.

                Zim forced himself up to a sitting position, deciding to submit to the scientist and wake up. He yawned, rubbing his eyes. He looked up at the scientist and saw her more clearly. She had pink gloves, boots, and goggles on, and her lab coat was tinted a light pink. She had her blonde hair up in pig-tails, both braided. She smiled sweetly, glad to see Zim awake.

                "Sorry I had to shock you, but I had no other choice," she said. "Besides, I was supposed to wake you up an hour ago, so please don't be grumpy. You just looked so peaceful. I didn't want to wake you." She clapped her hands and rubbed them together. "Okay, let's get down to business. My name is Gena, and I'm one of Dr. Conway's assistants. I'm here to help you learn to walk again."

                'Walk?' Zim thought in disbelief. 'I probably can't even crawl.' He scratched his head.

                "Now, normally we'd have to massage your feet and legs before we tried to do anything, but since you overslept an hour, we don't have any time. I must apologize, for that is partially my fault. So for today, I'm going to give you a numbing drug so you won't hurt so bad when you try to stand." She walked over to the refrigerator, opened it, and pulled out a bag with a syringe in it. She pulled it out and gave it a test squirt.

                Zim's cheek twitched, seeing the size of the needle. It was a longer than those he'd been awake to witness so far. He didn't like needles. He shook his head and pulled the covers up to his chest.

                "Don't be frightened. It isn't going to hurt that much."

                Zim didn't like how she said the word 'that'. He scooted toward the back of the bed and pulled the covers up to his shoulders. Gena clicked her tongue and shook her head. She approached Zim, the needle facing up. Zim felt a shiver go up his spine and scooted back as far as he could go. Gena walked up to him.

                "Okay. I need your left arm," she said, putting out her hand. Zim just stared at her, wide eyed. Gena sighed and reached down to get Zim's arm. Zim hastily ducked under the covers. "Please don't make me shock you again," she said sharply. She tapped her foot on the ground.

                Zim pulled the covers away and looked at Gena meekly. He slowly gave her his left arm. She smiled and nodded. She pulled the sleeve of Zim's shirt up to his shoulder, being careful not to touch the open wound. She straightened his arm, and brought down the needle slowly. Zim turned his head and closed his eyes hard, tensing up and biting his lower lip He waited for the bite of the needle to come.

                "There. See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Gena asked cheerfully. Zim opened his eyes and turned to face Gena, who was smiling and pulling a cotton ball out of her lab coat pocket. He'd felt nothing. He looked at his arm and saw a little red dot in the middle of the inside of his elbow. Gena put the cotton ball on the dot and pushed down on it. She pulled out a band-aid and put it over the cotton ball. Zim half smiled, feeling a little foolish about the way he'd acted. Gena saw this and beamed.

                "Okay. Let's get started," she said. She reached out and gently picked Zim up by the armpits. Zim felt a little awkward hanging in the air in such a way, but wasn't uncomfortable. Gena carried him to the center of the room and brought his feet down to floor, holding him in a standing position.

                "On three, I'll let you go. Try to stay balanced. We're only working on standing right now, so don't worry about the walking part just yet," she said, and Zim felt her grip loosening. Zim glanced at the floor nervously, hoping it wasn't very hard. "One...two...three!" Gena let go.

                Zim immediately felt his knees wobble. They caved in and he fell to the floor with an "Oof!" He'd landed pretty hard on his behind, and his tailbone throbbed for a moment. Gena brought him up to a standing position again.

                "Try to stiffen your knees, maybe you can stay balanced," she said, and Zim nodded uncertainly. "One...two...three!" Gena let go again.

                Zim locked his knees and felt a little more balanced. The only problem was that all his weight was at the back of his foot, and he fell backwards. The air was knocked out of him as he landed on the floor, hitting his head. He whined quietly and rubbed his head. He'd already had a headache, and the fall just made it worse. Gena once again helped him up to a standing position.

                "You okay?" Gena asked, concerned about Zim's bump to the head. He nodded. "Thank goodness. Okay, this time, try to even out the balance on your feet. Half the weight in the back, half the weight in the front." Zim was going to protest, but Gena started counting. "One...two...three!" Gena once more let go.

                Zim stiffened up his knees again and concentrated on his feet. He stayed standing for a few seconds, then toppled over to the right, hitting his injured shoulder. He let out a muted cry and rolled to the side. He bit his tongue and hissed through his teeth. Gena gasped and rushed down to him, afraid that he was hurt.

                "Oh my gosh! Are you okay? Do you need help?" Gena said frantically, and she tried to pick Zim up. Zim growled angrily and struggled to get loose from her, kicking and twisting his arms around. He elbowed Gena in the stomach, who coughed and fell backward, releasing Zim.

                Zim cradled his shoulder, trying to get it to stop hurting. After a few moments, the numbing drug that had been injected into him earlier got rid of it, and he was okay. It took him a moment to realize what he'd just done. He'd attacked a scientist. He remembered what Dr. Conway said: "....the third setting will knock you out. We'll only use that if you attack one of the helpers.... "

                Zim gasped, his eyes widening. He spun around and saw Gena standing up hunched over hugging her stomach, glaring down at him. His jaw quivered, seeing the shock remote sticking out of one her lab coat pockets. He stared helplessly back up at Gena, expecting to be knocked out cold any second. He lowered his antennae in submission and looked down at the floor. He twiddled his thumbs, waiting for the shock.

                "We'll continue with therapy later," said Gena with a sigh. She had almost unlimited patience, having worked for a hospital for the mentally challenged. Zim looked up at her, stunned. Gena smiled and giggled lightly. "You can do what you please. But, please, don't sleep."

------------------------

                Dib sat in the lounge room, throwing darts at the dart board. He pretended that the board was really Dr. Conway's face. He looked pale and pasty, his hair uncombed and flopping in his face. He wasn't having the best week. Since he no longer had to work so much with the Subject A project, he'd been able to go back to skool. Ms. Bitters had been the greatest person to be greeted by.

                "I can't believe they took my discovery away from me," he said softly, talking to himself. He threw the dart extra hard. It missed the dart board and stuck into the wall just to the left. "I just can't believe it," he repeated, and he plopped down onto the couch. He didn't know whether to punch the wall or cry. He threw his last dart at the ceiling. It stuck.

                There was a knock at the door. "Dib, are you in here?" It was Sierra. She was still permitted to work with the Subject A project, because she hadn't hit the subject.

                "Yes. What do you want?" Dib said harshly.

                "I've found something. I want you to be the first to see it, Dib. But I can't open the door," she said.

                Dib sighed. He got up and stomped over the door. He whipped it open. "What could _you possibly find of any impor-" He stopped short. Sierra was holding a green dog with black ears, tail, feet, and arms. It was eating a chocolate cupcake with sprinkles. Dib's cheek twitched, recognizing Zim's robot sidekick, Gir._

                "See? Isn't he great! I found him in the fake K-mart that disguises this building," Sierra said, smiling gleefully. "I was thinking that we could give him to the alien, to, you know, cheer him up."

                Dib started to tell Sierra that the dog was actually a robot, but he stopped himself. He thought of how Dr. Conway had insulted him, telling him that he was immature and couldn't handle such a big project. He clenched his fists and grinned.

                "Revenge...," he whispered.

                "What?" Sierra asked, lost.

                "Uh, nothing. Yeah Sierra, that's a great idea. Get Dr. Conway's permission and give the little rascal to Subject A. It'll surely brighten his day."

                Sierra smiled. "Wow, Dib. You've sure grown up. I'm glad you're being mature about everything." Dib laughed. Sierra nodded and left the room, accidentally slamming the door. The dart on the ceiling hit Dib on the head.

                ~woot~ Yay! It took forever to write this chapter, mainly because my Mom forced me to stop and do my homework, but I got it done! Well, thanks for reading. The next chapter will probably be up within the next two weeks.

                                                                                                                                -Crystal


	14. Speech Therapy

                Lookit! Another chapter! I'm on a roll here. Actually, I'm just really bored so I decided to go ahead and do this. ~glee~ Anybody got Super Mario Sunshine? I bought it over the weekend, but I can't figure out how to go any farther in the game. The best part of the game is having Yoshi spit up on people. If you spit up on Toadsworth, he goes "Oh No!" then dances around. Then he yells at you "Ya Blah Blah Blah Blah!" What also is neat is when Mario dies and says "The horror." Okee..I'll shutup now.

Disclaimer: Sock puppets scare me

Speech Therapy

                Zim shivered and hugged his arms, desperately trying to get warm. His teeth chattered a little, just enough to be heard. His antennae stood straight up, with goose bumps all across his skin. The cold chair he was sitting on didn't help much either. He'd thrown up three times in the past four hours and his throat was raw and hurting him badly, but the scientist, Leela, still forced him to do the speech therapy. They were sitting at a table, Leela with her back to the large painting, Zim across from her.

                "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," Leela said, holding the shock remote in her hand in case Zim didn't cooperate. She was just a teenager, and thought Zim was annoying but cute in a weird, innocent way.

                "Aw ick bow ox um er aw zee og," was all Zim could strain out. His voice was soft and very raspy. Leela could hardly hear it, but nodded and wrote down Zim's progress on her clipboard. Zim's body shivered harder. He was freezing. He pointed over at the bed.

                "Et baket," Zim said with a loud sneeze. Leela raised an eyebrow, not understanding.

                "What's that?" she asked, straining hard to hear.

                "Baket," Zim repeated, and he motioned toward the bed. He hugged his knees. 

                Leela shook her head and cupped her hand around her ear. "I'm sorry, I'm just not understanding."

                "Baket!" Zim said, becoming upset. All he wanted was a nice, comfy blanket, but because of his throat, he couldn't ask for it. He wanted to get it himself, but he couldn't get up without assistance. "Baket!" he said again, and he pointed at the bed again. Leela still didn't understand. Zim clenched his fists. He was frustrated and felt like throwing a tantrum, but he calmed himself and tried harder to be understood.

                "Buh-la-ank-et," he said slowly. He pointed at the bed once more.

                "Oh...Do you want me to get you the blanket?" Leela said, finally understanding. Zim nodded eagerly. Leela smiled and got up. She left the shock remote behind. Zim stared at it, wondering if he could steal it and break it some how. He shook the thought out of his head, knowing he'd just get in trouble.

                Leela unexpectedly showed up behind Zim and picked him up. Zim cried out in surprise. Leela giggled giddily, amused that Zim could be caught off guard so easily. She wrapped him up in the blanket and sat him back down on the chair.

                Zim hugged the blanket against his body, not wanting any heat to escape it. He kept his knees bent and close to his chest. He rubbed his arms and legs with the blanket until the goose bumps went away. His teeth ceased chattering, and the shivering grew less severe. He sneezed a few times, and frowned, feeling a wave of nausea go through his body.

                "Hinnnnng...," he moaned, and he hugged his stomach. He hunched over, his lower lip quivering. He knew he'd have to throw up again soon.

                Leela watched Zim intently, taking note of everything. Just a second ago he'd been fine, but as soon as he got the blanket, he was sick again. Leela pondered on it for a moment, then got up and pulled a thermometer out of her lab coat pocket.

                "Open wide and say 'Aww,'" Leela said. Zim opened his mouth a little, not wanting to throw up on the scientist. Leela shook her head sadly, then put the thermometer under his tongue. She waited a moment and the thermometer beeped. She pulled it out and looked at the temperature.

                "103.8?!" Leela exclaimed, and she looked at Zim, who was hunched over again. "That's what probably is making you puke all the time! Your body temperature is really high, but you feel cold and you shiver. The more you try to warm yourself up, the higher your temperature will get, and you'll throw up again. That's what's wrong!" she said, understanding everything. She quickly jotted all this down on her clipboard. Zim moaned louder.

                "Bucket," he said softly. His frail body shuddered as it tried to force the vomit out of his system. He fell out of his chair.

                Dr. Conway suddenly entered the room. "You can leave now, Leela, if you please," she said, heading directly toward Zim with a large bowl and a cold washcloth.

                "Is he going to be okay? I've seen him sick before, but this looks bad," Leela said, worry showing in her voice.

                "He'll be fine, but he needs some air and space. Thank you for your hard work, Leela," replied Dr. Conway. She helped Zim up to a sitting position and put the washcloth on his neck. Zim's eyes watered, his muscles twitching on their own. He had no control over his body anymore. He coughed hard a few times, then gagged and vomited.

                Zim whined and wiped the blood off his face. He fell backward, and Dr. Conway caught him. He gasped for his breath, his chest going up and down in an irregular pattern. His pulse beat hard through him, a few veins popping out of his neck with each beat.

                "Are you breathing? Are you going to make it all right?" Dr. Conway asked, pulling the clipboard down from the table. She bent her knees and sat on the sides of her feet. She laid Zim on her lap, facing up towards the ceiling. She took the clipboard and waved it like a fan above Zim's face.

                "Can you say anything? Just to let me know you can hear me and you're still awake?"

                Zim went to say something, but all that came out was a high pitched squeak. He looked up at Dr. Conway weakly. She wasn't wearing her goggles. Zim saw that she had light green eyes. They looked worried. Zim stared up into them for a moment, but felt another wave of nausea go through him, making him shudder. Something was hurting inside of him, making him sting. He hugged his stomach again, expecting an organ to burst. Zim shrieked hoarsely, his voice cracking too much to really come out right.

                Dr. Conway bit the bottom corner of her mouth. She saw how much pain the subject was in, but didn't want to lose his trust by drugging him up. She didn't know what to do. Zim moaned loudly, and Dr. Conway heard his insides gurgling. She couldn't stand seeing the subject like this anymore. She pulled a syringe out of her lab coat pocket and quickly forced it into Zim's arm.

                "I hope you get some relief in your rest," Dr. Conway said, her voice cracking slightly. Zim looked at the syringe, then at her, then back at the syringe. He half smiled. For once he was happy to have a scientist around.

----------------

                Dib sat on the sofa in the lounge room, smiling cockily. He laced his fingers together and twiddled his thumbs. Dr. Conway was sitting at the table with an open can of Vanilla Coke. Her hair was scraggily looking, her braid falling apart in the back. She sighed and took another swig of soda.

                "So, I've heard that the subject is sick," Dib said, glancing up at Dr. Conway. Superiority showed in his voice. Dr. Conway nodded slowly and sighed again. She rubbed her temples. "I was watching," Dib said smugly, and chuckled softly. "You hesitated."

                Dr. Conway glared at him, but her expression quickly softened and she decided to stare off into space again. For a while there was silence. Dr. Conway chewed at her nails and shook her head.

                "I just can't figure out how he got so sick," she said all of a sudden, breaking the silence. "What could make him have such a high fever? We haven't fed him anything spoiled," she said.

                "You gotta keep in mind that he's an alien. His body is different than ours," Dib said. 

                Dr. Conway nodded. "That's a good point." She went back to zoning out. Again there was silence. Dib sighed in annoyance. He didn't like how Dr. Conway could just shrug off an insult. He wanted to get to her, make her frustrated. Her even temper didn't please him.

                "Oh! I almost forgot!" Dib said, and he smacked his forehead. "Sierra found something and wants you to see it."

                "What is it?"

                "It's a little green and black puppy dog. Sierra wants to give it to the subject to cheer it up. I thought it was a good idea," Dib said, faking his pleasant tone of voice.

                "Hmm...I'll have to look into it," said Dr. Conway, and she finished off her Vanilla Coke. "Thank you for telling me, Dib." She left the room. Dib got the Vanilla Coke can and crushed it.

--------------

                The next day, Zim was laying in bed reading a book. It was a science fiction book about Martians invading the Earth. Zim would have laughed at some parts, like how the Martian spacecraft was built, but he didn't have the strength. So far he hadn't thrown up all day, but his throat still was sore from the day before. Whenever he breathed in, he could hear his throat click. He hadn't gotten out of bed all day, and the therapy was postponed until his temperature was lower than 101.

                Zim had trouble holding and turning the pages of his book. His hands were shakey, and the pages kept sticking together. His arms were too weak to hold the book up to his face for a long period of time, so he had piled up all the pillows to help him sit up and look down at the pages. Zim had a slight headache and felt a little stuffy, and he coughed often, sometimes tasting blood. It was a hard day to suffer through, but it was better than the day before.

                Gena was the scientist watching Zim today. She took his temperature every hour and put a cold washcloth around his neck if it was over 100. So far she'd used six washcloths. Gena was bored, chewing on her hair and reading the newspaper. She sighed, having read the comics section five times.

                'Humans sure are ignorant of how alien invasions work," Zim thought as he finished another chapter of his sci-fi book. For some reason, the book fascinated him. The martians in the book seemed primitive. All they ever seemed to do was hiss, growl, fight, or drool on people. But they also had highly advanced technology. Zim shook his head from time to time, confused by the whole thing. He'd been reading the book for almost the whole time he'd been awake. He had been promised a special surprise if he behaved through the day, so he read the book to keep himself occupied and out of trouble.

                "Do you want to watch TV?" Gena eventually asked. Zim looked over the top of his book. He hadn't watched TV for a long time. 

                'How long have I been in this place?' he asked himself, and it half depressed him. He forced the thought out of his head and nodded at Gena. Gena smiled happily, glad to stop reading. She turned on the TV and flicked it to the Cartoon Network.

                "You are stooopid! You are stooopid! And don't forget, you are stooopid!" the TV blared. A short scientist boy with orange hair was yelling at his tall, blonde haired sister. 

                "WELL YOU'RE SHORT!" screamed the scientist boy's sister, and she sat on his head. The scientist boy growled and clenched his fists.

                "GET OUT OF MY LABORATORY!"

                There was a huge explosion on the screen and an egg headed scientist boy with black hair appeared.

                "Ah HA HA! Ah HA HA ha ha!" the egg headed scientist boy laughed. "Now you will pay, Dexter, for making a mockery of me! Ah HA HA! Ah HA HA ha ha!"

                Zim groaned. He'd watched this cartoon before with Gir. He hated every episode with the egg headed scientist boy. His evil laugh was just...not good.

                Dr. Conway burst into the room. "I heard an explosion!" she said, and she looked around nervously. Gena giggled.

                "Forgive me, Doctor, I must have the TV volume up too loud," Gena said laughing, and she turned the TV down.

                "Oh...well...this is sort of embarrassing then," Dr. Conway said, and she rubbed the back of her neck. Zim looked over at Dr. Conway, and half smiled. He'd grown to like her a little. She was the nicest and most caring scientist he knew. Some of the others were nice, but he liked her best.

                "Well...I guess we could give you your surprise now," Dr. Conway said, looking over at Zim. "Have you been a good boy?" Zim smiled, glad to be called a boy instead of an 'it'.

                "He's been very well behaved today, Doctor. Then again, I don't think he has the strength to misbehave," said Gena. Dr. Conway laughed.

                "Okay," Dr. Conway said, and she opened the door. "Sierra, you can bring him in!" she yelled out. Dr. Conway kept the door opened, and Sierra walked in backwards, handling whatever was in her hands with care. She turned around slowly. In her hands was a large box with holes punched in it. She sat it in front of Zim.

                "Go on. Open it!" Sierra said excitedly. Zim looked at the box for a moment, and noticed it was moving. Something was alive inside. He pulled the top flaps up, and gasped.

                He stared in disbelief into the eyes of Gir in his doggy costume.

                And there's a good place to end. I'll leave ya hanging there for a while. Muah, I'm evil. Yes, I watch Dexter's Laboratory. Laugh at me if you will, but do not diss the Dex-man. ~glee~ Yeah. Seeya guys later. Peace!

                                                                                                                -Crystal


	15. False Hope

                Okay, here's what happened. What I posted earlier in the week was the original Chapter 15. I didn't like the ending of it, so I added more to the end. But...I forgot to save. Sorry about my stupidity folks. I still am kinda sick. ^_^; Yeah. Everything in the chapter is pretty much the same except for a few paragraphs at the end. Just skim through it if you want.

Disclaimer: Day have dyslexic a

False Hope

                Zim and Gir stared at each other for a few minutes, not blinking. Dr. Conway and the two helpers watched them, waiting for a reaction. They didn't have to wait long.

                "MAS-!" Gir started to call out, but Zim cupped his hand on Gir's mouth, shaking his head. Gir nodded cheerfully and wagged his tail. Zim wrapped his arms around Gir and hugged him tight, sobbing quietly. He didn't fight his emotions. He didn't care what the scientists thought. Gir was Zim's key out of the dungeon that was the Swollen Eyeball Society.

                "Awww," Gena cooed, cupping her hands and bringing them to her chest.

                "That's so precious," Sierra said, wiping a tear from her cheek.

                "Come on," Dr. Conway said, heading toward the door. "Let's leave them alone so they can get better aquainted." Dr. Conway left the room, and Sierra and Gena followed. Zim waited a moment to see if they'd come back, then he slowly let go of Gir.

                "Master, how come you're crying?" Gir asked quietly. He'd never seen his master like this before.

                Zim sniffled and rubbed his eyes. "I'm not crying...I just had something in my eye, that's all," he said with a smile. "Uh, Gir...can you hear me?" he asked, knowing he was talking very soft because of his throat. He could only say words properly if he whispered very quietly.

                "Uh-huh," Gir replied. Since Gir was a robot, he had very acute hearing, and he could hear many things human ears couldn't. He looked up at his master, seeing how pale and weak looking he'd become. There were dark purple circles around his eyes, and one eye was closed more than the other. Gir blinked a few times, then scooted away from Zim.

                "Gir?" Zim asked, wondering why his companion looked so scared.

                "Master...are you a zombie?" Gir asked, his voice shaking slightly. Zim stared at Gir for a moment, and a twisted grin grew across his face. He made a gagging noise as he tried to hold back his laughter, but he ended up busting up and he laughed uncontrollably. Gir watched his master for a few seconds, then he too started laughing. Zim grabbed at his sides and kicked his feet in the air, laughing so much that it hurt. After a little while, he calmed down and rubbed at his throat which had gone raw.

                "No, Gir, I'm not a zombie," Zim said, wiping a tear from his eye. He cleared his throat, becoming serious. "Gir, I need to get out of here. I mean, out of this entire building. I need to go back to the base. Do you think you could bust through the door with your jets?"

                Gir nodded happily. "I gots plenty o' fuel, so we can keep going, and going, and going..."

                Zim sighed and shook his head. "Okay. Now let me just secure myself to you," he said, and he pulled one of the silk sheets out from under him. He tied one end around his waist, and the other around Gir. "This is here so I won't fall off if I can't hold on," Zim said, seeing Gir's confused face. Gir nodded.

                "Okay...5...4...3...," Zim counted down.

                "GO!" Gir said, ignoring the numbers. He blasted off the bed towards the door. Zim quickly grabbed for Gir's ears, but he couldn't keep his hold. His hands slipped off, and he felt the blanket tighten around his waist.

                'Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all,' Zim thought, the blanket cutting off his circulation. Gir busted through the door, Zim flying behind him helplessly like a kite. Zim watched people whiz by him, mostly startled scientists. One lady screamed and jumped out of the way, throwing her coffee cup in the air. Zim had to laugh.

                "WEEEE!" Gir screamed happily. He made a sharp turn to the left. Zim quickly twisted around. His back smacked into the wall for a second, and then he was flung forward.

                "GIR! Careful on the turns!" Zim yelled hoarsely. 

                "'kay."

                Zim smiled. He couldn't believe how things had changed. He was actually going to make it out alive. 'Oooh...Dib's gonna be SO mad..,' Zim thought, snickering. 'I'm gonna make him pay...but how? Explosion? Naw...Laser? Too sloppy...Poison? That wouldn't be much fun...'

                Gir made another turn, being careful not to go too sharp. He hummed a happy tune, giggling from time to time. He was glad to have his master back, even though he was a pale faced zombie. He spread his arms wide and screamed joyfully. 

                Out of no where, something grabbed Gir, bringing him to a stop. Zim flew ahead of Gir, feeling the blanket tighten even more. It eventually ripped in two, and Zim landed on the floor on his chin. He did a somersault, slid a little, and finally stopped. 

                "Oww...Gir?! Why'd you stop?!" Zim demanded, rubbing his head. He propped himself up with his elbow and looked behind him. He gasped, then looked down at the ground. Dib was standing against the wall with his arms crossed. He had Gir by the neck with a spider leg.

                "Hello, Zim," Dib said haughtily. He picked at his nails. "How are you doing on this fine day?"

                Zim grumbled angrily. He looked in the opposite direction of Dib and pretended he couldn't hear him.

                "Did you actually believe that you were going to escape? Did you actually believe that I didn't know your little robot pal was here? I knew everything, Zim. I planned the whole thing," Dib said, and he walked toward Zim. 

                'How could I have been so STUPID?!' Zim thought, clenching his fists in fury. It wasn't fair. Dib had predicted his every move, his every reaction correctly. Dib stood next to Zim.

                "You know, this is actually very ironic. Agent Blink told me that if you didn't cooperate and if Dr. Conway couldn't handle you, I'd get the case back and we'd go straight to the autopsy. Isn't it funny how things just played out?" Dib sneered. "Heh...you die tomorrow," he whispered.

                Zim felt a pang of despair go through him, and he had to close his eyes and turn his head to the side. He'd been so close to victory. This was just cruel. Dib cleared his throat. "This doesn't mean I can't have a little fun first..," he said. Zim shuddered. Dib's definition of 'fun' usually involved pain. Zim forced himself up to a sitting position and scooted away from Dib until he bumped into the wall.

                Dib watched Zim with interest. "You know, I don't know whether to pity you or laugh." Zim growled, but didn't look up at Dib. Dib looked over at Gir, who was still being held by the neck. He decided to throw the robot at the wall. Gir smacked into the wall, leaving a dent, and landed with a clang. Zim watched helplessly, and saw a few sparks come off of Gir's small body. 

                Dib turned to face Zim and glared. A thin cord slid out of the backpod slowly, and wrapped around Zim's frail body. Zim struggled against it and tried to pull free, but the cord tightened and kept him completely immobile. Dib pulled him close to his face and smiled. Zim didn't know whether to glare or look away, so he just blinked uncomfortably.

                "Once the autopsy is done, you'll be put on display at a museum in Washington D.C. We'll even have a little gift shop with dolls of you.  Pictures of you will fill the Internet, and students will do biology reports on you. I'll be world famous, rich, and happy. Doesn't that sound great?" Dib said, enjoying himself. 

                Zim sneezed in Dib's face. He hadn't meant to. He just had to get rid of the tickle in his throat. Dib's cheek twitched, and he wiped the snot off his face in disgust. He shook his hand around in the air, then wiped it on his lab coat. Zim snickered softly. Dib saw this and became furious. He tightened the cord to an extreme level, cutting off Zim's air and circulation. Zim gagged for a few moments, then gasped in relief when the cord finally loosened. 

                Dib giggle gleefully, then flung Zim at the wall. Zim smacked into it, face first, and landed on his back. He coughed miserably and rolled onto his stomach. He rubbed the back of his head and opened one eye halfway. He saw the cord flying at him, and forced himself up on his fours. He tried to scramble away, but the cord caught him by the foot. It raised him up in the air, and smacked him into the opposite wall. Zim heard something snap, and looked down at his left arm. It was bent in an unnatural way. The pain came quickly, and he wailed and cradled his arm.

                Dib drew the cord back into the backpod and slowly approached Zim from behind. He put his hands behind his back and cupped them together. He stopped directly behind Zim, who was reeling in pain. Zim bit his tongue, sensing Dib behind him. He fought off what pain he could, and ignored what was left. He panted for a little while, and wiped the sweat off his face the best he could.

                "I'll see you in the morning," Dib said, and he raised his foot high in the air behind him. Zim slowly turned around, confused. Dib grinned, then kicked Zim on the bottom of the chin as hard as he could. Zim yelped in surprise and was sent flying. He landed on top of Gir and fainted. Gir woke up, surprised at the sudden pressure on his body. He crawled out from under Zim and looked at him for a few moments. He pushed Zim's body in an attempt to wake him up. He lifted his arm up and felt how limp it was. He let go of it, and it fell the ground like dead weight.

                Gir unzipped his doggy suit, then stared at his master's motionless body once more. His eye twitched, and something inside his head clicked. His vision turned red and he looked over at Dib. Dib was talking on a cell phone, asking for somebody to pick up Zim's body. Gir clenched his tiny fists and growled. The growl got louder, and soon became an angry shriek. Dib slowly turned around to see what was going on, and Gir tackled him.

                "YOU HURT MY MASTER!" Gir yelled.

                Oooo, Gir is angry! Heh...yeah. Uh, sorry for all the confusion folks. I'll try my best to save my work from now on. Yeah. Seeya.

                                                                                                                -Crystal


	16. A Robot's Rage

                Hello! I've been away from this story a while, I know, but I told you I would be, so don't yell at me! *avoids people throwing shoes* Yeah, I didn't want to update this, cause I'm afraid of screwing up the ending. Yes, the ending. Don't make me repeat it again. Just stop reading this and read the chapter.

Disclaimer: I dun own Invader Zim or Viacom or anything really. I own me. I'm worthless. Anybody wanna buy me?

                A Robot's Rage

                At first, Dib just stared up at the little robot glaring at him. He didn't know how to respond. Gir's eyes were glowing hot red, and the little robot seemed to be glaring right through him. After the shock wore off, Dib growled and swung at Gir with his arm. Gir grabbed it, right before it hit him on the side of the head. He squeezed hard.

                Dib yelped and quickly shot a robotic leg out of backpod to knock Gir off his arm. It stuck the little robot on the shoulder, and he was sent flying toward a wall. Dib rubbed where Gir had been squeezing him. There was a red mark there. He growled and glared over toward the direction he had thrown Gir.

                Gir was standing there, his body tense, ready for a fight. Dib stared at him, then began to laugh.

                "Are you seriously challenging me to a battle? You?! You puny little thing?! Don't waist my time!" Dib said, and he pulled a small blaster out of the backpod. Gir immediately shot it out of his hands with his laser eyes. Dib looked at his hand, then at the blaster, then at Gir. He bit his lip, trying to decide what to do. His eyes darted from Gir to the blaster. After a moment, Dib quickly dove toward the blaster.

                Gir was ready. He shot another blast at the gun, and as Dib's hand reached for it, he was struck by the robot's laser. Dib held back a high pitched shriek, cupping his burnt hand. It had a black circle on it, where the laser had hit him. He glared at Gir, then hastily picked up the blaster and fired at Gir. Gir swiftly dodged the shots, and chuckled cockily and closed his eyes.

                "Who's the puny thing now?!" Gir said loudly, his voice high pitched and metallic. Not hearing a response, Gir opened his eyes. "Wha-?" Dib was no longer standing in front of him. He looked all around him, but still didn't see the human. Gir heard a soft clicking and looked above him.

                Dib was hanging over Gir like a spider, the robotic legs keeping him stable. He held a larger laser blaster in his hands, and had one eye closed, aiming at Gir. Dib pulled the trigger, and Gir was hit with a blast that sent him flying. Dib snickered happily in triumph. Gir turned on his jets to slow down, and he prevented himself from smacking into the wall. He steadied himself in the air, and when he recovered his senses, he looked around for Dib. He was a little too slow, and Dib came at him quickly, kicking him in the side.

                This time, Gir couldn't stop himself from hitting the wall, and he bounced off it, landed on the floor, and rolled. He stuck his arms out and stopped himself. He shook his head and looked up, only to see a blaster pointed straight in his face. Dib glared down at Gir, grinning wickedly. Gir sat up and backed away as far as he could, but there was still no way that Dib would miss if he pulled the trigger.

                "At least you put up a better fight than he did," Dib said, and he nodded his head towards Zim. Gir stared at his master, and felt all the rage build up in him again, but he could do nothing. He looked up at the roof, trying to think. Dib crept up close to him, forcing the tip of the blaster into Gir's forehead. He snickered, and started to slowly squeeze the trigger.

                Gir suddenly got an idea. He stuck his legs out at Dib and turned his jets on. This sent Dib flying backwards a short distance, and he landed on his back. Gir took advantage of the few seconds it took for Dib to stand up, and shot a circle into the roof above Dib. Dib's pupils grew small as he looked above him, and the ceiling collapsed on top of him.

                Gir sighed in relief, and his eyes turned back to their normal cyan color. He skipped over to his master, and tried once more to wake him up. 

                "Master...oh master?" Gir whispered by Zim's head. Zim stirred slightly, and Gir smiled. "Master! You aren't a dead zombie person!" Gir cried, and he hugged Zim's head. Zim whined softly, and opened his eyes half way. His broken left arm quickly started to hurt him, and he shut his eyes tight in pain. Gir danced around, singing. He clapped his hands, and hugged Zim's head several more times. Zim forced a smile through his pain.

                "I made Dib go smashed, master!" Gir said, pointing at the rubble from the ceiling. Zim opened his eyes wide, ignoring his pain, and stared at Gir. He wished he could hug the little robot. Zim's eyes quickly went to the pile of rubble, and he remembered something.

                "G...Gir," Zim choked, speaking so softly that Gir had a hard time hearing. "Was he wearing the backpod?" he asked, and breathed deeply after he had finished. Gir nodded, and began to jump up and down.

                "Yeah! Should I go get it?" Gir chimed, and Zim nodded. Gir screeched in joy, and he ran over to the rock pile. He dove into it, digging furiously, until he ran into Dib's limp body. Dib was still holding the blaster in his hand, and the other hand was over his head, maybe there to protect it. Gir kicked a large piece of ceiling off of Dib's body so he could see the backpod. Gir spat in his hands and rubbed the together quickly, then took a deep breath. He put his hands on either side of the backpod, and pulled as hard as he possibly could.

                Sparks started flying from the backpod, and Gir's gears started to grind. Gir continued to pull, but also turned his jets on to help him. More sparks flew, and Dib was mildly electrocuted. Gir eventually ripped the backpod off, but wires were hanging out of it and it would probably need repaired. 

                After being electrocuted, Dib awoke. He was a little dizzy and had no idea where he was, but when he heard Gir's high pitch voice, he remembered everything and became furious. He laid perfectly still as Gir shifted around in the rubble, pretending to be unconscious. Gir kicked all the rocks off of Dib and jumped out of the rubble pile, holding the backpod like a trophy. 

                "Ta-da!" Gir shouted happily, and he spun around on one foot. Zim was looking up at him meekly, still laying on the floor. He had made no attempt to sit up, afraid that it would make him faint. He was exhausted, but happy. Gir slowly started marching toward his master, holding the backpod high above his head.

                "Take another step, and your master gets a blast to the head!" Dib shouted at Gir. Zim stared up at the rubble pile, seeing Dib pointing a blaster at him. Dib looked injured, and the hand holding the blaster was unsteady, but it clearly didn't matter. Dib refused to be the loser. Gir stopped in his tracks, understanding the message. They all froze in their places, Dib's shaking arm being the only thing moving. 

                After a few minutes, Gir became unbalanced, and fell over. Zim gasped and closed his eyes tight, preparing for Dib to shoot him. Dib grinned sinisterly, and took careful aim. 

                "HA!" he scoffed, and he pulled the trigger.

                Nothing happened.

                Dib looked at the blaster, confused. He pulled the trigger again. Still nothing. He squeezed it over and over, but still nothing happened. Dib threw the blaster down and yelled in frustration.

                Zim smiled slightly. 'It only works if you have the backpod on,' he thought to himself, and he sighed. He knew he was safe from Dib now. He looked over at Gir, who was staring at him eagerly. Zim nodded his head, and Gir squealed in joy. His eyes got red, but they were no longer filled with anger and hatred. He jetted over to Dib.

                "Bye bye!" Gir said, waving, and he shot at the roof again. A big chunk of the ceiling fell around Dib and over his head, and he fainted underneath it all. Gir cheered, then raced over to Zim with the backpod. Gir pushed a button on it to call the Voot Cruiser, then gave it to Zim. Zim smiled at him, feeling the happiest he'd ever felt in a long time. He sighed.

                "Let's go home."

----------------------------------------------------

                That's it! The end! I feel so sad! I didn't want this to end! I felt that I shouldn't put the whole 'How Zim Gets Cured' chapter thing, because I think it's better to leave it hanging. That way, you can have your own ideas on how Zim gets better and what happens to Dib. I think that's more fun.

                I really enjoyed writing this. Before I joined FF.net, I always started something and never finished it. The only reason this was different was because of the reviews. I just want to thank all of you who reviewed and liked the story. You really helped a lot. Thanks again people! Peace!

                                                                                -Crystal


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